We’ve been waiting three years for Alex Garland’s follow-up to his absolutely incredible directorial debut, Ex Machina. Garland finally returns with his follow-up next winter; the film is called Annihilation, based on a book by Jeff VanderMeer, and it stars Natalie Portman as a woman who is trying to save her husband (Oscar Isaac) after he joins an expedition that goes horribly wrong. If you know the VandermMeer novels (Annihilation is the first of a trilogy), you know what happens next. But I don’t, so I don’t, and I ain’t gonna spoil it all now just for this post about the trailer. So don’t tell me anything!

Here’s the official synopsis:

Based on Jeff VanderMeer’s best-selling Southern Reach Trilogy, Annihilation stars Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, Tuva Novotny and Oscar Isaac. It was written and directed by Alex Garland (Ex Machina, 28 Days Later).

Okay, well that’s not actually much of a synopsis. But we know who’s in the movie at least!

Garland has been a successful writer for decades, but Ex Machina announced him as a major directorial talent as well. Still, that film was almost entirely contained to one house and three main characters. Annihilation expands the stakes and the scope considerably for Garland. From the look of the trailer and its gorgeous but disturbing imagery, it definitely seems like he was up to the challenge. Annihilation opens in theaters on February 23, 2018.

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