海角大神

The moviegoing public has gotten a surprise from J.J. Abrams.聽

The director, whose most recent film, 鈥淪tar Wars: The Force Awakens,鈥� just became the highest-grossing movie domestically of all time without adjusting for inflation, has produced a new movie that may have some connection with the 2008 movie he produced, 鈥淐loverfield.鈥澛�

A trailer has been released for a film titled 鈥�10 Cloverfield Lane.鈥� Like the 2008 film, it鈥檚 produced by Abrams. And moviegoers won鈥檛 have to wait long 鈥� it鈥檚 coming out this March.聽

Is it a sequel to 鈥淐loverfield鈥�? What does the plot involve?聽

Little is known about the new movie. The trailer shows actors, including John Goodman of 鈥淟ove the Coopers鈥� and 鈥淭he Returned鈥� actress Mary Elizabeth Winstead, in what looks like some underground area. Then Winstead鈥檚 character attempts to escape, despite Goodman鈥檚 warnings about what lies beyond their sanctuary.

The unusual marketing campaign for 鈥�10 Cloverfield Lane鈥� echoes that of the 2008 movie 鈥淐loverfield,鈥� which was filmed found-footage style and centered on a strange creature attacking New York City. Trailers for the 2008 film showed only fragmented clips of people fleeing and an unseen threat.聽

Secretive or strange marketing campaigns can certainly help a movie. The 1999 film 鈥淏lair Witch Project,鈥� which also used a found-footage conceit, sparked moviegoers鈥� interest with a mysterious website and the idea that the movie depicted true events. 鈥淏lair鈥� went on to be a box office smash.聽

With the 2006 movie 鈥淏orat,鈥� some moviegoers probably knew actor Sacha Baron Cohen from his shows like 鈥淒a Ali G Show,鈥� but he was hardly a household name. Following the unusual promotion for the movie, in which Cohen appeared in character on various occasions, the film also went on to be a box office hit.聽

Abrams is no stranger to secretive movie promotion 鈥� impressively few plot details about 鈥淪tar Wars,鈥� one of the most anticipated movies of all time, came out before the movie鈥檚 release.

He鈥檚 also kept plot points secret with high-profile movies like the 2013 film 鈥淪tar Trek Into Darkness,鈥� where Abrams and his stars kept the identity of the villain portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch a secret. While some fans were displeased with what they saw as confusing denials by those involved with the movie, the film went on to do well at the box office.

Whether it鈥檚 connected to the original movie or not, the use of the word 鈥淐loverfield鈥� in the title is sure to pique moviegoers鈥� interest. And the unusual marketing campaign may also attract moviegoers as innovative methods have in the past.