J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot production studio has already churned out three chapters in its “Cloverfield universe” — 2008’s Cloverfield, 2016’s 10 Cloverfield Lane, and this year’s The Cloverfield Paradox. However, the fourth installment won’t be Overlord, the film hitting theaters later this year that was long rumored to be another story in the loosely connected franchise.
During Paramount Pictures’ presentation at this year’s CinemaCon event, Abrams himself debunked the rumors regarding Overlord, and said that the upcoming horror film will be Bad Robot’s first “R”-rated film, but won’t be tied to the Cloverfield movies.
“It’s bat-shit crazy,” Abrams said of Overlord in taped remarks for the event, as reported by Variety. Footage from the film that debuted during the event seemed to validate that description, as it reportedly featured a gruesome montage of scenes featuring genetically modified Nazis, disembodied heads, and various other gory clips.
Directed by Son of a Gun filmmaker Julius Avery, Overlord hits theaters October 26, and is based on an original concept from Abrams and The Hunger Games screenwriter Billy Ray.
The film is set in 1944, on the eve of the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France, which gave the Allied forces a foothold in Western Europe during World War II. The film is said to follow a group of American paratroopers who are dropped behind enemy lines on a vital mission, only to discover that there’s more than just a military operation underway at the Nazi-occupied village they’re targeting.
While it’s easy to speculate on how the title could relate to the film’s synopsis, it’s worth noting that the title has actual roots in the historic military operation that paved the way for an Allied victory in World War II. The official code name for the Battle of Normandy was “Operation Overlord.”
The cast of Overlord so far includes Jovan Adepo (The Leftovers), Wyatt Russell (Everybody Wants Some), Jacob Anderson (Game of Thrones), Dominic Applewhite (The King’s Speech), Pilou Asbaek (Game of Thrones), Iain de Caestecker (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), John Magaro (The Big Short), Mathilde Ollivier (The Misfortunes of Francois Jane), and Bokeem Woodbine (TV’s Fargo).
The film’s script was penned by Ray and Mark L. Smith (The Revenant).
Updated April 26 with confirmation from Abrams about the film’s ties (or lack thereof) to the Cloverfield movies.
