James Gunn has become a prominent figure in Hollywood after making Guardians of the Galaxy one of the biggest surprises of 2014. Much of the attention surrounding Gunn has been focused on the highly anticipated sequel, but in between his space adventures, he shifted his focus to something smaller with The Belko Experiment, a new thriller written and produced by Gunn and directed by Greg McLean.
The movie debuted at the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this year ahead of its planned theatrical release on March 17, 2017. Now for everyone who was not at TIFF, the first footage of the film is available ahead of the full trailer coming soon.
Gunn debuted the trailer on his personal Facebook as well as other social media platforms, introducing his followers to a vague teaser that hints at a sinister work environment and promises more details to come.
The plot revolves around American co-workers in Colombia trapped in a building together who are ordered to kill one another by the company. The premise is sure to draw comparisons to The Hunger Games movies, but the script has apparently been in development for a long while. Gunn says in the post that he waited nine years for the movie to be approved. That may help alleviate concerns The Belko Experiment is simply a low-budget riff on Suzanne Collins’ mega-successful franchise, but on the other hand, such similarities might not be the worst thing.
Gunn’s involvement is also sure to help spread the word about the film and to get audiences interested in seeing this when their attention will likely be otherwise diverted toward Beauty and the Beast. This may be especially true since Gunn brought along some of his Guardians of the Galaxy cast. Michael Rooker, Sean Gunn, and Mikaela Hoover will all appear in the film, as well as fellow MCU actor David Dastmalchian (Ant-Man).
Many fans might know Gunn best due to his work on Guardians of the Galaxy, but for those who enjoyed his past efforts blending comedy with horror, The Belko Experiment looks to be a return to form – at least in terms of Gunn’s script-writing duties. Those intrigued by the teaser only have to wait a few more days for the full trailer, as it premieres this Wednesday, November 30. After this tease, it will be interesting to see whether the marketing plays up the creepy office setting or the film’s sure-to-be bombastic violence.
The Belko Experiment opens in U.S. theaters on March 17, 2017.
Source: James Gunn
