In order to tease this week’s release of Damien Chazelle’s highly anticipated Babylon and put a Christmas spin on it, Paramount Pictures released today not one, but two trailers for the upcoming comedy/drama from the La La Land director. Labeled “naughty” and “nice,” the trailers focus on different aspects of the movie, but both of them highlight the movie’s star-studded cast that features Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Tobey Maguire, Katherine Waterston, Diego Calva, Max Minghella, and Jean Smart.
The story centers around the movie industry during one of its most turbulent periods: the transition from silent to sound films, and then from black and white to Technicolor image, as well as the careers that were made or broken in the process. The “nice” trailer perfectly illustrates all this by starting out with no color and no soundtrack, and these elements are introduced as the clip progresses.
In the “naughty” version, however, you get a different approach to the story, starting with a disturbing scene in which Maguire’s character James doesn’t look very well. This version also isn’t shy: It states with capital lettering that Babylon is “the best movie of the year,” and then it goes on to show some nudity, violence, and risqué humor – but rest assured, you might see elements from one trailer in the other and vice-versa.
Babylon Reaches for the Stars
Babylon has all the makings of a movie that wins big during the award season: The story is a celebration of Hollywood with an exuberant cast and undisputable production values. Chazelle is also a favorite among voters: his previous works First Man, La La Land, and Whiplash were all nominated in several categories in past award seasons. The release date isn’t selected by chance, either: It’s the release window that make it eligible to compete in 2023 awards and the late December release keeps it fresh in voters’ memories.
Not that Babylon wouldn’t stand on its own: The movie was received with positive reviews by critics that attended early screenings, and many of them underscored the fact that Chazelle’s unapologetic display of debauchery on screen is one of the movie’s strengths. Our own Ross Bonaime wrote in its review that the movie surprises from the very start, and that is “gorgeously presented” throughout.
Babylon premieres in theaters this Friday, December 23. You can watch the “nice” trailer below:
Check out the “naughty” trailer here:
You can read the official synopsis for the movie here:
From Damien Chazelle, BABYLON is an original epic set in 1920s Los Angeles led by Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie and Diego Calva, with an ensemble cast including Jovan Adepo, Li Jun Li and Jean Smart. A tale of outsized ambition and outrageous excess, it traces the rise and fall of multiple characters during an era of unbridled decadence and depravity in early Hollywood.