Development hell is real, and the cast and crew of New Mutants has definitely been living there for well over a year. The first trailer came out in October of 2017, with an April 2018 release date. Then reports came out that the studio wasn’t happy with the final product, so there were reshoots and test screenings abound. Some were convinced that the movie would never see the light of day, especially after the Disney-Fox merger. But lo and behold, not only is there a new trailer, but also an updated release date.
Here’s the official synopsis:
The New Mutants an original horror thriller set in an isolated hospital where a group of young mutants is being held for psychiatric monitoring. When strange occurrences begin to take place, both their new mutant abilities and their friendships will be tested as they battle to try and make it out alive.
In terms of what we see in the trailer, all of the same cast is here. For the mutants, we have Mirage (Blu Hunt), Magik (Anya Taylor-Joy), Sunspot (Henry Zaga), Wolfsbane (Maisie Williams), and Cannonball (Charlie Heaton). We also have Alice Braga as Cecilia Reyes, a doctor and mutant who can generate the protective field that keeps these five in the hospital. The trailer also gives us glimpses of what each of the mutants has done to get them sent away, as well as explaining (whether correctly or incorrectly) that the hospital itself is creating the illusions meant to kill the teens.
If this film does indeed come out (and there’s still a chance it might not), it will likely be the last Fox-helmed X-Men film. Now, given their track record with the franchise, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it does mark the end of an era.
New Mutants is set to premiere on April 3, 2020.
