Latest Movie Trailers (11/04/12)

New trailers have arrived for exciting science fiction remake Total Recall and for new Stephenie Meyer adaptation The Host (which, we’ve been assured, has nothing to do with vampires). Also out is the trailer for musical flick Sparkle, starring the late lamented Whitney Houston.

The Dictator

The Dictator is the latest comedy vehicle for British stand-up Sacha Baron Cohen, who is best known for his cringe-worthy performances as Ali G, Borat and Brüno. A change from his usual mockumentary style, The Dictator will see Baron Cohen play General Aladeen, who has been in charge of fictional Middle Eastern country the Republic of Wadiya for forty years. The plot of the film is said to be based on the book Zabibah and the King (which was written by Saddam Hussein), but was likely also influenced by Charlie Chaplin film The Great Dictator, an Adolf Hitler spoof. The film also stars Ben Kingsley and Megan Fox (as herself).

Sparkle

A musical drama set in the 1960’s, Sparkle follows a similar plot to that of the 2006 film Dreamgirls. Three sisters form a girl group and become a Motown sensation, only to find that the pressures of fame begin to take a toll on their family. The film stars Jordin Sparks, Cee Lo Green, and the late superstar Whitney Houston. Sparks takes the main role of musical prodigy Sparkle, who tries to balance her new life of fame and her romance with music manager Stix (Derek Luke) while also keeping her family together. Real life superstar Whitney Houston, who died on February 11th this year, plays the mother of the three girls.

The Host

Much to the excitement of Twilight fans, the first trailer for The Host has now been released. The film is based on a novel of the same name by Stephenie Meyer. A completely separate story from the Twilight series, The Host is a science fiction thriller. An alien race has begun to take over the Earth by inhabiting the bodies of humans; Melanie Stryder has been inhabited by an alien named Wanderer, but she refuses to let him take complete control of her body and mind. Melanie will be played by Saoirse Ronan, who is known for her roles in The Lovely Bones, Atonement, and Hanna. The film will not be released until March 2013, but the cryptically creepy teaser trailer has already made film-goers curious about this supernatural thriller.

Safety Not Guaranteed

After premièring at the Sundance Film Festival in Utah, Safety Not Guaranteed is now among the fourteen films selected for special screening at the inaugural Sundance London in late April (a general UK release date is yet to be announced). It tells the story of three journalists who set out to interview a man who placed a newspaper ad reading ‘Wanted. Someone to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. You’ll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. Safety not guaranteed. I have only done this once before.’ The film is based on a real classified ad which was featured on the Jay Leno show, and turned into an internet meme. Safety Not Guaranteed is being called a comedy rather than a sci-fi, and it looks as though the film will be exploring human relationships much more than actual time-travel – but, anything can happen in the movies.

Total Recall

Video: Total Recall – full trailerBased on the 1990 film of the same name, as well as a novel by Philip K Dick, Total Recall stars Colin Farrell as Douglas Quaid, a man whose memory is tampered with so that he begins to suspect himself of being a spy. In the year 2084, Euroamerica (formerly North America and the European Union) and New Shanghai (formerly China and South-East Asia) are fighting each other for political power. Quaid does not know which side he is on, or which of his memories are real, and which are ‘recall’. The film also stars Jessica Biel, Kate Beckinsale and Bill Nighy, and stays closer to the political themes of the book than the original film did.