It's not every year that a fresh, exciting sci-fi movie with original ideas and mind-bending visuals comes along. It's fair to say we've been waiting a while for a movie that pushes the boundaries of the genre but Denis Villeneuve's sci-fi movie Arrival is coming, and like the aliens on the ships that descend mysteriously across Earth, this movie has something to say for itself.
Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner star in Arrival, which is released in November and could get some attention at the 2017 Oscars. Let's take a look at everything we know about Arrival, from the latest news and reviews to trailers, cast and release dates.
Arrival Movie News & Rumors
Updated 09/15/16:
At Toronto International Film Fest (TIFF), stars Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner spoke about the joys of shooting in Montreal, while Renner compared director Denis Villeneuve to the late visionary Stanley Kubrick.
Also this week, it was announced that Arrival will be the closing movie of the 52nd Chicago International Film Festival, airing for critics in the Windy City on October 27.
Arrival Movie Trailer
Two trailers dropped simultaneously for Arrival. The US Arrival trailer is edited in a way that's surprisingly heavy on spoilers, so below you'll find the international trailer, which is a little more spoiler-free (while still offering all the intrigue and thrill factor). Check out the Arrival trailer below:
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The essential premise of the movie is that a specially-assembled team must attempt to discover why twelve alien ships have landed simultaneously on various continents across Earth. To do so, Dr. Louise Banks must first decode the aliens' unique language. This trailer does a great job of teasing the central mystery at the heart of the story without revealing too much.
Further trailers and TV spots will be posted here when they hit.
Arrival Movie Release Date
Feeling those sci-fi withdrawal symptoms as Hollywood throws out endless superhero movies? Don't panic Arrival hits theaters in just a couple of months. Arrival's US release date is November 11, 2016. It releases simultaneously in several major countries globally, including the UK, Germany and Australia.
Arrival Movie Reviews
Nominated for the prestigious Golden Lion award at Venice Film Fest 2016, where it received its world premiere on September 1, Arrival has so far received universal acclaim from critics. With an 80/100 score on Metacritic and a perfect 100% on RottenTomatoes, the consensus is that Arrival is far from just another mindless blockbuster no, this is a movie with a lot of big, bold ideas which genuinely breaks new ground in the realm of science fiction.
Some secrets never die. Tomorrow watch the teaser trailer for #NocturnalAnimals, the film that electrified @tiff_net and #VeniceFilmFestival. @tomford #JakeGyllenhaal #AmyAdams #MichaelShannon @aarontaylorjohnson
A video posted by @nocturnalanimals on
Sep 14, 2016 at 8:01am PDT
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All reviewers have heaped praised on Amy Adams's central performance as the emotional heart of the movie, and you might want to look out for the redhead's name in the Best Actress category when nominations for the Oscars are released on January 24, 2017. Director Denis Villeneuve could also be nominated for Best Director, and although the Academy doesn't often nominate sci-fi, Arrival could imitate Gravity in receiving a Best Picture nomination. Fingers crossed...
Arrival Movie Cast
Although Dr. Louise Banks (Amy Adams) has the most screen time by far, Arrival has a stellar ensemble cast these are the big names you should look out for:
Amy Adams: Arguably best known for her sizzling role in American Hustle or as Lois Lane in Batman v Superman, Amy Adams has an incredible five Oscar nominations to her name. Amazingly, she's never won, but Arrival could be the movie to change that unless her other big movie this year, Tom Ford's Nocturnal Animals, makes good on its Oscar hype to grab the nomination instead.
Jeremy Renner: Best known to mainstream audiences as Hawkeye in Marvel's The Avengers and Captain America: Civil War, Renner's more serious work is often under-appreciated (check him out in the Ben Affleck-directed The Town for a taste of what he's capable of). Expect another super-solid performance in Arrival.
Thx toronto for an amazing evening. #premiere #tiff #amyadams #arrivalmovie
A photo posted by Jeremy Renner (@renner4real) on
Sep 13, 2016 at 12:00pm PDT
Forest Whitaker: After a few years under the radar, it feels like there's been a Forest Whitaker revival of late, and needless to say I'm loving it. The star of The Butler also has a major role in December's Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Michael Stuhlbarg: Although not a household name, chances are you've seen Stuhlbarg (who looks almost freakishly similar to Joaquin Phoenix) in something: the Cali-born actor has appeared in Blue Jasmine, Boardwalk Empire, Hitchcock, Trumbo and Steve Jobs, among others. Clearly, the man has good taste.
Arrival Movie Characters
So, you know who's in it but who are Adams and co. playing? Check out a brief, spoiler-free bio for the main Arrival characters:
Dr. Louise Banks: Adams plays Dr. Banks, a single linguistics professor who is recruited by the US military to join a special team charged with making contact with the aliens and determining exactly what their intentions are.
Ian Donnelly: Played by Jeremy Renner, Donnelly is a physicist who becomes a friend to Banks during the mission.
Colonel Weber: Played by Whitaker, Weber is a senior US military colonel who takes charge of the team assembled to communicate with the aliens.
Where To Watch Arrival Online
Unsurprisingly, there is currently nowhere to watch Arrival online and even when it hits theaters in November, you'll probably have to wait a few months before a digital copy arrives. Expect to find the movie on iTunes later this Spring, while a service like Netflix or Amazon Prime may also pick up the streaming rights.
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