Gareth Edwards' The Creator - Everything You Need To Know
Back in 2010, you'd have been hard-pressed to name a filmmaker more clearly on the fast track to the A-list than Gareth Edwards. That was, after all, the year Edwards released his sci-fi marvel "Monsters." Regarded by some in critical circles as a dazzling, wildly ambitious feat of no-budget filmmaking, "Monsters" arrived as jam-packed with compelling ideas as it was with eye-popping spectacle. The film indeed became a modest but door-opening hit for Edwards, who was quickly helming tentpole properties like 2014's "Godzilla" and 2016's "Star Wars" prequel "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story."
Though the film proved a commercial and critical success, the behind-the-scenes struggles of "Rogue One" are legitimately the stuff of cautionary tale in Hollywood circles. The experience undoubtedly left a bad taste in Edwards' mouth, with the writer-director taking several years to line up his follow-up project. That project is soon to make its way to theaters, however, and will do so under the name "The Creator." Here's everything you need to know about Edwards' upcoming sci-fi spectacular.
When will The Creator be released?
If you've been tracking the comings and goings of Gareth Edwards' long-awaited followup to "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," you likely know it was initially titled "True Love." The name change dropped when footage from the film was included in Disney's over-stuffed 2023 CinemaCon presentation. Notable name change aside, early reactions from the footage that was screened at CinemaCon already have some tabbing "The Creator" as a potential under-the-radar hit when it premieres in theaters later this year.
To the delight of many, the film will re-team Edwards with his "Rogue One" cinematographer Greig Fraser, who won an Academy Award last year for shooting Denis Villeneuve's breathtaking epic "Dune." And given Fraser's recent track record (see also: "The Batman" and "The Mandalorian"), "The Creator" should deliver more than its fair share of eye candy when it finally does arrive in theaters which, according to Deadline, will now happen on September 29, 2023.
Who is starring in The Creator?
When "The Creator" does make its way to theaters, it will do fronting an impressive ensemble cast, including superstar-in-the-making John David Washington. The actor's star has been in steady ascension in recent years, thanks in large part to lauded turns in Spike Lee's Oscar-winning "BlacKkKlansman," and Christopher Nolan's divisive but fascinating blockbuster "Tenet." Washington will be joined in the new film by fellow rising star Gemma Chan, who broke out in 2018's "Crazy Rich Asians," and spent the last couple of years contributing to projects like Marvel's "Eternals," and "Don't Worry Darling."
Heavy hitters Allison Janney and Ken Watanabe are also on the call sheet for "The Creator." Janney is, of course, an Academy Award winner who's become perhaps one of the best-respected actors in the game. Watanabe will need no introduction either, as he's delivered scene-stealing work in films like "The Last Samurai," "Batman Begins," and "Inception." As it happens, "The Creator" will also re-team Watanabe with Edwards, who directed him in 2014's "Godzilla." Rounding out the principal cast are lauded character actor Ralph Ineson ("The Witch"), "The Wheel of Time" alum Amar Chadha-Patel, and singer-songwriter Sturgill Simpson.
What is the plot of The Creator?
Since first announcing the film, "The Creator" production team has kept exceedingly tight-lipped in regards to what exactly the film is about, noting only that it's an original sci-fi concept set sometime in the future, and that it was penned by the director himself. But with the footage drop at CinemaCon, things are finally getting a little clearer on the plot front.
For instance, per Deadline's report, we now know the film is set in a far-distant future where mankind is at war with sentient robot beings. As described by Deadline, the footage also sees Washington discussing heaven with a young robot girl and includes several shots of battling space crafts. As noted by both Deadline and /Film, production design on the film is reportedly a jaw-dropping mix of the futuristic and the grounded, with the former going so far as to claim it "makes 'Blade Runner' look like child's play." /Film also alludes that the film may well be anchored around a tenderhearted story of a father (Washington) and his robot son.
Unfortunately, the teaser for "The Creator" has yet to be made available to the general public, so it's all word-of-mouth for the moment. But until that trailer officially drops, this is a thrilling tease of what's to come.