Movie Trailer: Alex Proyas’ Knowing

Nicolas Cage in Knowing

IGN has the first trailer for Alex Proyas’ Knowing. My first impression is that the film looks rather generic and boring, which is sad considering how much I am rooting for Proyas. The director gained critical acclaim for his 1998 sci-fi thriller Dark City, but his follow-up efforts (I, Robot and Garage Days) have been pretty uninspired. The concept of Knowing sounds interesting, but this trailer is less than exciting, especially compared to DJ Caruso’s Eagle Eye. Tell me what you think in the comments below.

Watch the trailer in High Definition on IGN. Knowing is set to hit theaters on March 20th 2009.

Official Plot Synopsis: In 1958, as part of the dedication ceremony for a new elementary school, a group of students is asked to draw pictures to be stored in a time capsule. But one of the students, a mysterious girl who seems to hear whispered voices, fills her sheet of paper with rows of apparently random numbers instead.

Fast forward 50 years to the present: A new generation of students examines the contents of the time capsule and the girl’s cryptic message ends up in the hands of young CALEB MYLES. But it is Caleb’s father, professor TED MYLES (Nicolas Cage), who makes the startling discovery that the encoded message predicts with pinpoint accuracy the dates, death tolls and coordinates of every major disaster of the past 50 years. As Ted further unravels the document’s secrets, he realizes it foretells three additional events-the last of which hints at destruction on a global scale and seems to somehow involve Ted and his son. When Ted’s attempts to alert the authorities fall on deaf ears, he takes it upon himself to try to prevent more destruction from taking place.

This gripping supernatural thriller charts one man’s faltering steps towards belief in the ultimate order of the universe even as he finds himself surrounded by mounting chaos. With the reluctant help of DIANA WHELAN (Rose Byrne) and ABBY, the daughter and granddaughter of the now-deceased author of the cryptic prophecies, Ted’s increasingly desperate efforts take him on a heart-pounding race against time until he finds himself facing the ultimate disaster-and the ultimate sacrifice.

  • Damn. I was waiting for this movie since it was announced (2005-2006?). I'm a big fan of Proyas, and the trailer doesn't look much promising. :S
  • JP Dyno
    Ill watch it just because that crashed plane scene (pictured) was filmed around the corner from my house. Pretty rare thing for someone living in Geelong, Aus. Ill just be looking out for extras or landmarks i know... much like i did with Ghostrider (whats with nic cage travelling to Melbourne for movies??)
  • gocitizen
    it just seems that the trailer spends a lot of time selling the premise, as if that alone will sell the film. Are they taking the approach that they don't want to show anything, or is there just not much to show? Nobody wants to watch guys fudge numbers and I can't imagine that is all the movie is, but all the trailer really does is wax about the premise being sold.

    What does Everyman do after he figures out this morbid secret?
    Maybe the next trailer will be a little more kinetic. One can hope.

    I miss the Alex Proyas that I thought was some sort of dark, messed up dude. I want him back. (There has got to be a Charlie Kaufman film somewhere in that notion). Dark City is brilliant on so many levels. I thought it was leading to a brilliant filmography. Good or bad, Knowing isn't the type of story I'd hope Proyas would take on.
  • Source
    Awesome looks interesting. Maybe not as good as Dark City and such by still entertaining and good old fun like I,Robot.
  • drmecha
    When was the great Alex Proyas replaced with a hacky directing robot?
  • orange cinema
    i don't know wtf ya'll are talking about - i, robot was the opposite of un-inspired (the style, effects, & camera moves have been ripped off many times since - m night is one of the guilty), and garage days had more fun & heart than more than half the shit the US pumps out monthly.

    and as for 'the knowing' - oh no! an original story - quick let's trash it before it starts a trend!
  • orange cinema
    p jackson has said that gollumn was inspired by the robot in i, robot, and they wanted to do the oposite of what proyas did: use a human performance to make a creature that fluid and alive, but with flesh, not mechanical parts.
  • dvq
    looks interesting.
  • orange cinema
    and yes, 2 towers came out first, but they were both under development at WETA long before either film came out.
  • The_Jezzus
    Looks like fun to me. You guys are taking movies a little bit too seriously.
  • although it stars nic cage,it looks badass. intresting plot and a potential for some major disaster sequences,and who doesnt like those ?
  • gocitizen
    I'm not giving up hope. I just think it's a sucky trailer. I like the premise and I really want this to be good, but i need a sense of where they go with that premise.

    Of course, if we are talking I, Robot , I'll start pissing flames, so i'm just going to continue pretending that film doesn't exist.

    It just occurred to me that this film sounds like it has a lot in common with Sex and Death:101...well, minus the sex.
  • Lee
    "what happens when the numbers run out?"

    we're going to have to find a new hair piece for Nic Cage.

    But Bangkok Seriously, this looks like another piece of shit. Not unlike everything Cage wears on his head.
  • Nash
    I might wait for the DVD. Depends if i get too excited or not. But for right now, it's definetly worth a rental. I don't know about 8.50 in the theater. We'll see.
  • David Ender
    Looks like a good version of The Happening. Might not see it in the theater, but I'd definitely rent it!
  • brandon
    I wonder if we all watched the same trailer, cause I'm really interested in seeing this. It looks really fun.

    I saw the trailer attached to Hancock, which I also enjoyed.
  • charles
    Its just a teaser. But I like it, although I won't see it until good reviews come out.
  • Dear Nic Cage,

    Thank you for getting rid of your ridiculous bird wig. Maybe someday you can embrace your baldness like Bruce Willis and myself. Or is there a strange deformity hiding under "your" hair?

    Love,

    Thumb
  • Atarishark
    I go with the Affeck/Damon theory in that you have to do a few commercial ventures along with the risky ones. Give it a chance, it has a cool premise, and God willing it might lead to "Dark Nation" if you will...
  • Atarishark
    oops, I meant Afflect, darn it! Why must I be the only one that would regret spelling that name wrong?
  • Atarishark
    Sometimes, I like to walk the neighbor's dog down to the ice cream stand, and order coney's...
  • mkpmedia
    looks like fun, but it's really, REALLY hard to do a movie based a round numbers. Too easy to overfake it
  • andy
    looks good. VERY intersting premise, idk about the actual movie thou...
  • Ghost
    There's been a lot of shitty trailers out, and although this one was so so, it could be decent.
  • Steve
    It looks interesting. The idea is good. Like any movie, it would be better without Nicolas Cage.
  • TheGuyInThePJ's
    Awhile back I read the Ryne Douglas Pearson & Richard Kelly draft for "Knowing" ...and it was pretty damn good. This trailer appears to be following the same narrative structure, but on a much larger scale(or budget should I say).

    I'm glad Poyas finally got this film made because it's been in pre-production Hell since 2001. But carrying this film without creating a Sci-Fi National Treasuresque feeling could be a challenge Nic Cage might not be up for ever again. (sorry if that sounds harsh)
  • DaRickR
    Looks like the Bible Code crossed with 2012 crossed with every bloody Cage film of the last five years. Original? Go to any freak conspiracy end of the world Mayan doom website on the web. There is nothing "original" about this.

    Also, I think he needs sinus surgery or something. And some caffeine.
  • ant
    @ orange cinema

    you rock dude (or chick) i completely agree this looks like a really interesting flick
  • Alexandra
    I really think it's going to be really cool. Nicolas Cage is a great actor and will make the movie look real and interesting ;)
  • luci
    more rose byrne please
    I love the work Rose
    she is great atress
    More rose byrne please
    kiss
  • Bocephus
    NIC CAGE, STOP RUINING MY FAVORITE DIRECTORS!

    Nicolas Cage is one of the cheapest character actors with NO range who completely taints films now with his presence (which due to it's cheapness breaks the third wall and RUINS cinematic experiences!)

    Why are great directors directing this HACK?

    Proyas (where did you go?)
    Herzog (WHY!?!?!?!)
    Polanski (NO, Jesus... NO!!!)

    I realize Cage has been in a handful of great movies but if you look over his entire catalog it's mostly throwaway garbage. Especially concentrating on the past few years....

    WHY?!?! WHY !?!??! WHY!@!?!?!?!??!?!??!

    Nic Cage STOP making movies or cut down to 1 a year.
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