Fan-favorite director Edgar Wright, helmsman of such films as Shaun of the Dead and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, was poised to dip into the Hollywood franchise waters a while back with Marvel’s Ant-Man. However, pesky creative differences between studio and filmmaker caused him to step down just before the project began production, and cinephiles have been waiting ever since for Wright to make his next move. Now, four years after The World’s End, the Cornetto trilogy creator is back with a new movie called Baby Driver.
The film, which stars Ansel Elgort as a young getaway driver named Baby, marks a change-of-pace for Wright. Whereas his previous endeavors were comedic in nature, Baby Driver is billed as a crime/thriller centered around a heist. To date, marketing has consisted solely of still images depicting the various famous faces of the cast (Jamie Foxx, Jon Hamm, etc.), but with Baby Driver set to premiere at the SXSW festival, the first trailer has been released online. You can watch it above.
Setting up protagonist Baby is the main focus of the preview, as his superior driving skills are showcased here with strong visual flair. As reported previously, Baby suffers from tinnitus (causing him to have constant humming in his ears) and he listens to music throughout the day to drown it out. According to Kevin Spacey’s Doc, this is what makes Baby the best at what he does. The soundtrack should be of great interest in Baby Driver, as one of the script’s pages states, “Every scene in this film is driven by music.” There have been a plethora of heist films over the years, and this element (combined with Wright’s style) should make it unique. Check out the film’s official poster below:
The trailer also provides an outline of the narrative. Baby falls for waitress Deborah (Lily James) and plots his exit from “the life” with her as he takes on one last job. Baby’s desire to move on to the next chapter of his life doesn’t seem to sit well with some of his underworld associates, such as Buddy (Jon Hamm) and Bats (Jaimie Foxx), putting the young driver at odds with his employers. Numerous threats are made towards Deborah in the footage shown, so Doc and his crew would rather Baby stay around than head out West and never come back. This won’t be easy for our hero, as every road out takes him right back in. Stepping away from a career in crime is difficult.
While Baby Driver is shaping up to be a different kind of film from the mind of Wright, it’s still going to possess the director’s trademark sense of humor. A comedic beat involves Bats and the gang incredulously going on a job in “Mike Myers” masks, which are modeled after Austin Powers instead of the killer from Halloween. All in all, Baby Driver looks like another exciting and highly entertaining film from Wright, and it should make for a fun watch at the end of the summer season.
Source: Sony/TriStar
- Baby Driver Release Date: 2017-06-28
