Director Gareth Edwards’ 2010 film Monsters was an under-the-radar indie hit that showed off the filmmaker’s impressive grasp of the proper balance between human character development and creature effects, and the way a simmering, slow reveal of unnatural elements can best serve a compelling story. The film was so well-regarded, in fact, that it earned him the director’s chair for Godzilla, the exponentially higher-profile film that hits theaters this weekend.
Monsters also did well enough to earn itself a sequel, and the trailer for Monsters: Dark Continent arrived online at IGN this week.
In the trailer, a soldier recites a poem about the hardships of his tour of duty over scenes of various military actions in the desert, only to suddenly reveal the monstrous creatures they’re fighting when he gets to a line about “giant sand bugs.”
Currently scheduled for a U.K. release in September, Monsters: Dark Continent is set several years after the events of the 2010 film, and will be the directorial debut for Tom Green, who directed several episodes of the hit British series Misfits. Edwards will executive produce the sequel, which stars Johnny Harris (Snow White and the Huntsman ) Sam Keeley (What Richard Did), and Joe Dempsie (Game Of Thrones).
The sequel to Monsters follows a group of soldiers tasked with eradicating the alien creatures that have overrun the “Infected Zones” and spread throughout the world. As the soldiers quickly learn, however, the threats they face aren’t always of the fanged, tentacled variety – and they must contend with dangers both human and monster in order to survive each day.
Monsters: Dark Continent currently has no official U.S. release scheduled, but should receive one soon — and a subsequent digital and home-entertainment release, of course.
