To commemorate the film’s release today, November 25, The Weinstein Company has rolled out the uplifting new trailer for Lion, the Oscar-tipped melodrama hailing from director Garth Davis (Top of the Lake).
In it, we’re introduced to Saroo Brierley (Dev Patel), a young boy who falls asleep on a train only to wake up in a completely different country, miles away from his family and the childhood he once knew. Carving out a new life in Kolkata, Saroo is later adopted by a wealthy Australian couple – played here by Nicole Kidman and David Wenham – and it’s at this moment that our wayward protagonist taps into his burning desire to locate his birth mother through the power of Google Earth.
Following an eye-catching breakout in Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire, it’s difficult to imagine anyone other than Dev Patel in the role of Saroo Brierley. Even from this teaser alone, Saroo’s journey is captivating, which is as much a testimony to Patel’s emotional range as it is to Davis’ direction. Also starring Rooney Mara as love interest Lucy, Lion will no doubt be jostling for a place when awards seasons kicks off in earnest, and you can find the movie’s official logline, below.
“Lion” tells the story of Saroo Brierley, a young Indian boy who was separated from his family. After surviving the harsh conditions of India’s street life, Brierley wound up as a foster child in a local orphanage and was adopted and taken to live in Australia. Two decades later, the 25-year-old attempted to find his birth family using Google Earth.
Lion opens in select theaters today, November 25 (our review), and tees up the first of two collaborations between Rooney Mara and Garth Davis, given the pair have also struck up a deal for TWC’s Mary Magdalene biopic.
