Our First Look At 'The Darkest Hour' Reveals Clues To Our Alien Invaders

Many people might have missed this at WonderCon, but the Oni Press booth had our first look at the Timur Bekmambetov-produced alien invasion movie titled The Darkest Hour. Described as a 28 Days Later-type thriller, the story follows a group of American tourists visiting Moscow Russia when an alien invasion occurs.

The film stars Emile Hirsch (Speed Racer, Into the Wild), Olivia Thirlby (Juno, The Wackness), and Max Minghella (Bee Season, How to Lose Friends & Alienate People, Agora, The Social Network). Chris Gorak directed the film, with a script by M.T. Ahern and Leslie Bohem with revisions by Gorak, Jon Spaihts, and Josh Zetumer. The film was shot last Summer in Moscow with a $40-$50 million budget. Summit Entertainment is distributing the film in the states while Fox International is handling international.

Hit the jump to see our first look at art created for the upcoming film.

The special WonderCon collectible poster (11x17) features:

an image of destruction at the Taj Mahal, with two soldiers from opposite sides of a centuries-long conflict fighting together as the last men standing against the unseen alien invaders. The limited edition poster, illustrated by Brian Hurtt and colored by Bill Crabtree, the art team behind Oni Press' hit comic book THE SIXTH GUN, will be given away at Oni Press' booth (601) during WonderCon in San Francisco.

What can we learn from the above image? Well for one, I don't see any alien invaders, do you? I do see electrical bolts or lazer beams. Could this be the force from alien weapons off screen, or might the aliens themselves be some kind of invisible electrical force?

If you go to the website referenced on the poster, TheDarkestHourIsNear.com, you will find information and videos on Ball lightning, a "proposed atmospheric electrical phenomenon of which little is known" which "is usually associated with thunderstorms, but lasts considerably longer than the split-second flash of a lightning bolt."

Note: this is a real life phenomenon and not something created for the movie. The video above was posted in 2009 from an Astronomy website.

Press Release:

THE DARKEST HOUR is near

Summit Entertainment, New Regency & Oni Press will unveil a special collectible poster at WonderCon 2011 from the upcoming art book for THE DARKEST HOUR, a new film about five young people who find themselves stranded in Moscow, fighting to survive in the wake of a devastating alien attack. The 3D action-thriller highlights the classic beauty of Moscow alongside mind-blowing special effects from the minds of visionary filmmaker Timur Bekmambetov (WANTED, NIGHT WATCH) and director Chris Gorak.

The full art book is set to debut later this year, with stunning artistic interpretations of the film's vision of a world lost to an overwhelming and frightening alien force, featuring work from a diverse roster of comics' hottest creators. The global events are captured in epic detail as the last remnants of humanity struggle for survival in a world that is no longer their own.

The special WonderCon collectible poster (11x17) features an image of destruction at the Taj Mahal, with two soldiers from opposite sides of a centuries-long conflict fighting together as the last men standing against the unseen alien invaders. The limited edition poster, illustrated by Brian Hurtt and colored by Bill Crabtree, the art team behind Oni Press' hit comic book THE SIXTH GUN, will be given away at Oni Press' booth (601) during WonderCon in San Francisco.

Additional artists who are contributing to the collectible art book include:

Ben Templesmith – Artist of 30 DAYS OF NIGHT (IDW), cover artist of WASTELAND for Oni Press – one of the premiere horror artists in comics.

Brian Churilla – Artist of THE ANCHOR (Boom Studios), THE ENGINEER (Archaia).

Tom Fowler – Artist of MYSTERIUS THE UNFATHOMABLE (Wildstorm).

Mateus Santolouco – Artist of MONDO URBANO (Oni Press), RAMPAGING WOLVERINE (Marvel), AMERICAN VAMPIRE (DC/Vertigo).

Pia Guerra – Artist of Y: THE LAST MAN (DC/Vertigo).

Nathan Fox – Artist of INVINCIBLE IRON MAN #500 (Marvel), PIGEONS FROM HELL (Dark Horse), FLUORESCENT BLACK (Heavy Metal).

Brian Hurtt – Artist of THE SIXTH GUN (Oni Press), THE DAMNED (Oni Press), GOTHAM CENTRAL (DC).

Jeremy Haun – Artist of BERSERKER (Top Cow), DETECTIVE COMICS (DC).

Ron Chan – Artist of THE GUILD: CLARA (Dark Horse), STAR WARS: KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC (Dark Horse).

Nathan Fairbairn – Colorist on Tom Fowler's artwork. One of the top colorists in the business, currently coloring BATMAN, INC. for DC Comics.

Bill Crabtree – Colorist on Brian Churilla, Mateus Santolouco, Pia Guerra, Nathan Fox, Brian Hurtt, Jeremy Haun, and Ron Chan art pieces. Currently coloring THE SIXTH GUN (Oni Press), and colored the first 50 issues of INVINCIBLE (Image Comics).

Rick Spears – Writer of THE DARKEST HOUR art book. One of comics' true original voices, Rick Spears is the critically acclaimed writer of books such as BLACK METAL (Oni Press), TEENAGERS FROM MARS (Gigantic Press), PIRATES OF CONEY ISLAND (Image Comics), and DOG BROTHER: IMMORTAL WEAPONS (Marvel).