Admittedly, it's not every day that the names Roland Emmerich and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart are placed so close to one another. No disrespect intended for either artist; the director and composer have earned their own followings — if one more infamously than the other. But who would've thought that the day would come where the filmmaker behind Independence Day, The Day After Tomorrow, and this past February's Moonfall would one day be semi-responsible for bringing one of Mozart's most revered works back onto the silver screen? Certainly not this writer, at least. But that day has, indeed, come, as seen with the first trailer for The Magic Flute, the latest film adaptation of the classic 1792 opera of the same name, which comes from executive producer Roland Emmerich. What an odd timeline we live in.

As the teaser trailer for the movie, posted on Emmerich's Twitter, promises, The Magic Flute will take us on a dazzling journey "through time, through music," and "through love," as we follow the perspective of a young man named Tim Walker (Jack Wolfe), a 17-year-old who travels from London all the way to the Austrian Alps in order to attend the legendary Mozart Boarding School. While not quick to make friends, it doesn't take long before Tim discovers a centuries-forgotten passageway, which whisks the precocious teenager into the magical world of Mozart's The Magic Flute, wherein Tim must use the power of music and magic to return to the real world. From there, this fantasy musical gives new life to the timeless tale.

Also starring F. Murray Abraham, Iwan Rheon, Asha Banks, and Amir Wilson, this modernized The Magic Flute comes from co-writer/director Florian Sigl, who makes his filmmaking debut. Surely, with its mix of music, high-profile stars, and heavy special effects, it seems like a lofty project for any filmmaker — let alone one making his first film, which makes one wonder if the director behind VFX extravaganzas like 2012, 10,000 BC, and 1998's Godzilla had a guiding hand. That's all speculative, of course, but not without reason. Emmerich is certainly the biggest name behind the camera here, after all.

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Image via Centropolis Entertainment

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Regardless of who was calling the shots, one hopes that The Magic Flute honors the centuries-spanning source material that shares its name. It's a lofty goal, to be sure, and not one that this film will accomplish easily. But viewers can determine for themselves whether or not it lives up to Mozart's mastery when the movie heads into theaters in the months ahead. Currently, 2022's The Magic Flute is without a confirmed release date, but we'll keep you posted on the latest developments.

For now, though, check out The Magic Flute's trailer below: