Netflix has released a brand new trailer for The Old Guard. In a summer that has been deeply lacking in blockbusters, largely due to the ongoing movie theater shutdown, we are left with whatever movies wind up as streaming options. Luckily, Netflix has stepped up to deliver a big-budget comic book adaptation starring Charlize Theron to help fill the void. Based on this latest trailer, at the very least, it seems they're not pulling any punches.
The trailer kicks off with Charlize Theron getting into a unique confrontation, having to explain that she, as well as the person she has seemingly kidnapped, is immortal. We then come to find that a group of these immortal beings has been fighting important battles alongside one another for hundreds of years. We then get to the real meat on these bones, which sees a mysterious organization learning of the group's existence, seeking to capture them. It quickly turns into a bullet-filled, violent spectacle with high stakes.
The Netflix movie is based on the acclaimed graphic novel of the same name by Greg Rucka, who also penned the screenplay. Gina Prince-Bythewood (Love & Basketball, Beyond the Lights) is in the director's chair. Netflix is billing the adaptation as "a gritty, grounded, action-packed story that shows living forever is harder than it looks." The cast also includes KiKi Layne, Marwan Kenzari, Luca Marinelli, Harry Melling, Van Veronica Ngo, with Matthias Schoenaerts and Chiwetel Ejiofor. David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Don Granger, Charlize Theron, AJ Dix, Beth Kono and Marc Evans are producers on the project.
Comic book movies are the biggest thing in Hollywood right now, but with Marvel and DC locked up at Disney and Warner Bros., rival studios need to look elsewhere. In this case, Netflix is turning to Image Comics. Recent comic adaptations outside of Marvel and DC have been met with mixed results, with Vin Diesel's Bloodshot, based on the long-running series from Valiant, failing to connect with critics earlier this year.
The Old Guard centers on Andy (Charlize Theron), who leads a covert group of immortal mercenaries. They are gifted with a strange inability to die and have fought to protect the mortal world for centuries. However, when the team is recruited to take on an emergency mission, their unique abilities are become exposed. Andy and Nile (KiKi Layne), the newest member of the team, must help the group eliminate this new threat, who seeks to replicate and monetize their power by any means necessary.
It's worth noting that the streaming service's latest comic book adaptation, The Last Days of American Crime, didn't go so well, as the movie earned an extremely rare 0 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. One can only hope this goes a little better. The Old Guard arrives on July 10 via the Netflix streaming service. Be sure to check out the latest trailer for yourself.
