It’s a rare thing when the makers of a movie have a sense of humor about its failure. But that’s what’s happened with Brad Bird’s Tomorrowland. A new trailer promoting the Blu-ray release jokes about how Tomorrowland’s optimistic viewpoint didn’t play with destruction-craving audiences.
(Hence the disappointing box office
The trailer is for ToxiCosmos: 3 - Nowhere To Go, a film that exists as a running joke within Tomorrowland. In that world, ToxiCosmos is an “apocalyptic action” film that’s as pessimistic as Tomorrowland is optimistic. As for the trailer itself, it’s basically a sizzle reel of disaster footage from a ton of huge blockbuster hits with voiceover from Hugh Laurie’s character, David Nix. The joke is, this mindless massacre gets a trilogy of films while Tomorrowland, a film that tried to champion a positive view point
The press release really hammers this point home. It’s almost as good as the trailer. Here’s an excerpt:
While industry competitors at the Walt Disney Studios had hoped to curb the apocalyptic trend started by the 1984 groundbreaking classic ToxiCosmos, their big-budget, hopelessly optimistic attempt from Director Brad Bird, Tomorrowland, was met with box office indifference from a public that very firmly knows what it wants. Now, after more than a decade absence, the ToxiCosmos franchise returns.
And, of course, the production companies at the beginning of the trailer are references to classic sci-fi films Terminator, Alien, RoboCop, Blade Runner, Soylent Green and District 9.
The question is, does this clever, self-aware promotion make you want to check out Tomorrowland when it hits Blu-ray October 13? I think I’ll give it another shot.
Contact the author at germain@io9.com.