'10 Cloverfield Lane': How producer J.J. Abrams shocked Hollywood
-
Molly Driscoll Staff writer
The new movie 鈥�10 Cloverfield Lane,鈥� a spiritual successor to the 2008 film "Cloverfield," is the latest film to be produced by J.J. Abrams of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."
鈥�10 Cloverfield Lane,鈥� now in theaters,聽is also unusual in that almost no one knew it was happening until two months ago.听
The movie tells the story of Michelle (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), who is involved in a car crash and after the accident awakens in an underground bunker. Howard (John Goodman) tells her he rescued her from the crash but that she can't leave due to nuclear fallout.
John Gallagher Jr. of 鈥淭he Newsroom鈥� co-stars.听
The film follows the original 鈥淐loverfield鈥� movie, which centered on various New York residents as the city is attacked by a giant monster.听
The plot for 鈥�10 Cloverfield Lane"聽is similarly mysterious and most critics are avoiding commenting on the details.
鈥�10 Cloverfield Lane"聽is, like 鈥淐loverfield,鈥� produced by Mr. Abrams, who is currently best known for reviving the 鈥淪tar Wars鈥� franchise with 鈥淪tar Wars: The Force Awakens,鈥� which pleased fans and critics and is now the highest-grossing movie of all time in the US without adjusting for inflation.听
The movie took people by surprise when a trailer for聽鈥�10 Cloverfield Lane"聽was released in theaters in January with no news of the film beforehand.
鈥淎brams pulled off a stunt many thought impossible in this spoiler-obsessed world,鈥澛犅爓rote. 鈥溾�� Many audience members will be able to attend this film unspoiled by over-zealous marketing, blissfully unaware of the plot. Exactly as Abrams intended.鈥�
In a culture where movie fans dissect every detail of an upcoming blockbuster movie, particularly if it鈥檚 an anticipated follow-up (something Mr. Abrams might have experienced on, oh, a little film called 鈥淪tar Wars: The Force Awakens鈥�), 鈥�10 Cloverfield Lane"聽has stood out from the pack before it even came to theaters.听
鈥淚t just felt like, why not break the template we're all used to and make it fun for the audience?鈥澛�.听
聽called the decision 鈥渁 game-changer.鈥澛�
鈥淚f the music industry is a shark, the film business is a giant cruise ship with a broken rudder 鈥撀爄t focuses on what's coming five years down the line because it takes that long to turn,鈥� Mr. Ehrlich wrote. 鈥淏ut Abrams has repeatedly illustrated a knack for reading the tides. He possesses a rare understanding of the idea that marketing is an act of storytelling unto itself.鈥�
