You Too Will Fall In Love With Lewis Pullman, Sally Field, and an Octopus in the Trailer for ‘Remarkably Bright Creatures’
After My Octopus Teacher charmed the world a few years ago, Netflix has assembled a star-studded cast to bring another unique ocean story to life. On Wednesday, the streaming service released the latest official trailer and key art for Remarkably Bright Creatures, just a month ahead of the film’s debut on the platform on Friday, May 8th.
Remarkably Bright Creatures is based on the best-selling book of the same name from Shelby Van Pelt, which has sold more than two million copies and been reprinted thirty times since its initial debut in 2022. The film adaptation is led by Academy Award-winning actress Sally Field, as well as Thunderbolts* and Top Gun: Maverick fan favorite Lewis Pullman.
The trailer shows off Field and Pullman’s dynamic in some delightful ways, while also confirming one of the biggest questions that has surrounded the film: who would be voicing Marcellus the octopus, the quasi-narrator of the story? As it turns out, the answer is Spider-Man: No Way Home and Boogie Nights star Alfred Molina.
“One of the places where I was able to find a really good character was on YouTube, watching videos of naughty octopuses that were escaping from their enclosures, or just getting up to antics in aquariums,” Van Pelt explained in an exclusive interview with Netflix’s TUDUM. “I remember thinking that would be such a fun voice to write, such a fun character to harness. The character of Marcellus came out of a little vignette that I wrote in a continuing education class.”
Remarkably Bright Creatures is directed by Olivia Newman, who previously directed the film version of Where the Crawdads Sing. Newman co-wrote the script alongside Sonic the Hedgehog 3‘s John Whittington. Executive producers on the project include Van Pelt, Newman, Bryan Unkeless, Peter Craig, David Levine, Alyssa Rodrigues, Tony Lipp, Erika Hampson, and Alisa Tager.
What Is Remarkably Bright Creatures About?
Remarkably Bright Creatures centers around Tova (played by Field), a widow who works at a local aquarium and finds joy again when she forms an unlikely bond with a Giant Pacific Octopus and Cameron (played by Pullman), a wayward young man who comes to town in search of family. Together, they will uncover a mystery that will lead them to a life-changing discovery and restore their sense of wonder.
The cast of the film also includes Colm Meaney (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Bring Them Down), Joan Chen (Dìdi, The Wedding Banquet), Kathy Baker (The Ranch, Edward Scissorhands), Beth Grant (Little Miss Sunshine, No Country for Old Men), and Sofia Black D’Elia (Single Drunk Female, The Night Of).
“Beyond Marcellus, Remarkably Bright Creatures is a story of love and grief,” Van Pelt explained. “Those are two emotions that everyone who walks this planet feels at some point, so the themes are very widely resonant. There’s just a wide range of ages and generations and characters that people can enjoy together.”
As mentioned above, Remarkably Bright Creatures will be available to stream on Friday, May 8th, exclusively on Netflix.
(featured image: Netflix)
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