Home Movies

Monsters: Dark Continent Trailer Is Absolutely Awesome

The giant monster movie on everyone's mind right now is undoubtedly Gareth Edwards' gritty blockbuster take on Godzilla, which opens in theaters tonight following about a week of steadily strong reviews (including ours). So, in that sense, the timing couldn't be more perfect for Protagonist Pictures to release the first trailer for Monsters: Dark Continent, a sequel to the indie monster movie that put Edwards on the map.

monsters dark continent

Recommended Videos

The giant monster movie on everyone’s mind right now is undoubtedly Gareth Edwards’ gritty blockbuster take on Godzilla, which opens in theaters tonight following about a week of steadily strong reviews (including ours). So, in that sense, the timing couldn’t be more perfect for Protagonist Pictures to release the first trailer for Monsters: Dark Continent, a sequel to the indie monster movie that put Edwards on the map.

Sadly, given his commitment to Godzilla, Edwards was unable to return for the follow-up, so Joe Green (Channel 4’s Misfits) is taking over behind the camera. Green is working from a script by the largely unproven Jay Basu (little-seen The Dinosaur Project), with a cast that includes Joe Dempsie (HBO’s Game of Thrones, BBC America’s The Fades), Johnny Harris (The FadesSnow White & the Huntsman) and Sofia Boutella (Matthew Vaughn’s upcoming The Secret Service).

Though none of the cast members are familiar faces, the two actors in Monsters were also unknowns, and that contributed to the film’s authentic feel. Dark Continent, which focuses on a soldier (Dempsie) who crosses into an infected zone populated with colossal monsters in order to track down his MIA comrade, looks a lot more action-packed and dramatic than Monsters, though whether it will supply any of its predecessor’s staggering emotional heft remains to be seen.

The first trailer for Dark Continent features an eerie slam poem that references “giant sand bugs” and a soldier abroad, missing his family. It’s effective at establishing the grimy tone and teasing some thrilling, terrifying monster-versus-human action.

Whether Monsters: Dark Continent can replicate the breakout success of its predecessor is uncertain, but the film is due to hit the UK this September. Magnolia is expected to distribute it stateside.

Check out the trailer below and let us know what you think.

“Ten years on from the events of Monsters, and the ‘Infected Zones’ have spread worldwide.

Two soldiers embark on a life-altering mission through the dark heart of monster territory in the deserts of the Middle East. By the time they reach their goal, they will have been forced to confront the fear that the true monsters on the planet may not be alien after all.”