Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley Star in the First Trailer for Sci-Fi Actioner Chaos Walking

It feels like it’s been ages since we’ve seen a trailer for a new, big-budget, fresh science fiction concept not based on an existing film franchise, so it’s safe to say this first trailer for Chaos Walking feels like a blast of fresh air. Directed by Edge of Tomorrow’s Doug Liman, from a screenplay by original author Patrick Ness, the film is based on Ness’ sci-fi trilogy by the same name, and the first book in particular, 2008’s The Knife of Never Letting Go.

More important, perhaps, to the average cinemagoer is the A-list cast, though: Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley anchor the film, with supporting turns from Demián Bichir, Cynthia Erivo, Nick Jonas, Kurt Sutter, and David Oyelowo. Oh, and also Mads Mikkelsen, who bounds into this trailer wearing a massive fox fur coat likely to put you in the mindset of Macklemore’s “Thrift Shop” video. It’s ludicrous in exactly the right way.

The plot of Chaos Walking involves Ridley as a young woman who crashes on a strange planet that seems to be filled exclusively with men. From there, things get weirder—here’s the official synopsis:

In the not too distant future, Todd Hewitt (Tom Holland) discovers Viola (Daisy Ridley), a mysterious girl who crash lands on his planet, where all the women have disappeared and the men are afflicted by “the Noise” – a force that puts all their thoughts on display. In this dangerous landscape, Viola’s life is threatened – and as Todd vows to protect her, he will have to discover his own inner power and unlock the planet’s dark secrets.

Calling this affliction “The Noise” in particular calls to mind some of the other sensory focused sci-fi and horror films of the last few years, such as A Quiet Place and Bird Box, though the visual affects with which they achieve “The Noise” instead seem to visually reference “The Shimmer” from Annihilation. Regardless, this looks like much more of a pure sci-fi action spectacle than any of those movies, which is made clear in the trailer below.

Chaos Walking is currently scheduled for a Jan. 22, 2021 release, but with a potential COVID-19 vaccine coming out in the months following that date, we wouldn’t be surprised to see this one get bumped back. Check out the trailer below.