A lowly bank teller discovers he’s actually a non playable character in an open-world video game in , a forthcoming film from 20th Century Fox. Director Shawn Levy debuted the first trailer this weekend at the 2019 Comic Con Experience (CCXP) in Sao Paulo, Brazil, describing it as “a superhero origin story except without the tights, powers, or pre-existing IP,” according to Deadline Hollywood.
Stars Ryan Reynolds and Joe Keery (Steve Harrington on ) were also on hand for the event.
Per the official synopsis, is about “a bank teller who discovers he is actually a background player in an open-world video game, decides to become the hero of his own story…one he rewrites himself. Now in a world where there are no limits, he is determined to be the guy who saves his world his way…before it is too late.”
The trailer opens with cheery bank teller Guy (Reynolds) waking up and heading to work. He remains completely unfazed as he encounters all manner of bizarre occurrences en route: shootouts, explosions, a guy with a flame-thrower, and his pal Joe getting thrown through a storefront window. (“Whoa-ho! Mondays! Amirite, Joe?”)
Guy’s bank gets robbed every day, but this particular day, he decides to fight back, “killing” one of the robbers (“He’s just resting”) and taking possession of the dead man’s glasses. When he walks out of the bank and puts on the glasses, his perspective shifts dramatically: he sees the “world” as it really is—one elaborate video game. The bank heist is just one of the “missions” players undertake in the course of the game.
Guy picks up the ground rules governing the game pretty quickly, starting with a “first aid” token that heals his broken nose. “Is this what recreational drugs feels like?” he asks a random motorist. He also finds an ally in Milly, aka Molotov Girl (‘s Jodie Comer), who is able to move in and out of the game at will. Meanwhile, game developer Antoine (Taika Waititi) has plans to shut the game down, against the objections of a programmer, Keys (Keery). Keys and Milly created the code that resulted in Guy—who is supposed to be a non playable background character—becoming aware of his virtual environment.
At CCXP, Reynolds described the film as “a modern-day for this generation.” Tonally, I get the comparison, but also has recognizable elements from , and even the movies. “It’s not just spectacle — it’s very much connected to the characters,” Levy said. “It’s the rise of an idealist in a world that is very cynical and dark.” That should make it the perfect vehicle for Reynolds’ sweetly acerbic irreverence.
will hit theaters July 3, 2020.
