Oscar-winner Charlize Theron has been noticeably taking on more action movie roles of late. She found great success collaborating with filmmaker George Miller on Mad Max: Fury Road, where she played the strong-willed Furiosa. While she waits to see what is next for that character, Theron will be appearing in The Fate of the Furious in a villainous role and has another potential hit making its way down the pipeline, in the form of Atomic Blonde.
In Atomic Blonde, Theron plays Lorraine Broughton, a MI6 spy in the year 1989. The film is directed by John Wick co-director and future Deadpool 2 helmsman, David Leitch, and also sees James McAvoy co-star with Theron. The movie recently changed its title from Coldest City to Atomic Blonde, landing its first official poster in the process. Now the first footage from the film has been revealed, ahead of the full trailer arriving on Friday.
Universal Pictures has released two Atomic Blonde teasers to show off Theron in the title role (see above and below). While only 30 seconds in total run time, the footage shows that not only will the film incorporate some of Leitch’s incredible John Wick-style fight sequences, but also focuses quite a bit on how sexy Theron will be as this deadly spy.
These teasers are good starting points for a marketing campaign that should figure to be hard-hitting. Leitch and Theron are clearly looking to bring a John Wick feel to this new franchise, but with Theron in the lead instead of Keanu Reeves, Theron’s presence and looks could help sell the movie even more. There is no denying her breathtaking looks, so it will be interesting to see whether or not Broughton uses those to her benefit, or if it is simply a way to try and draw in a larger audience.
Either way, it will be interesting to see how well this movie does. There continues to be a push for more women-led films of all kinds, but Theron has yet to have that defining lead role that proves she is a bankable lead. Hancock is her highest-grossing film, but that is largely attributed to Will Smith’s presence. Building on her role in The Fate of the Furious could prove beneficial for Atomic Blonde’s run at the box office, but it still has to compete in a packed summer season.
Even outside of just looking at Theron’s ability to open a movie, audiences could be more eager to see this film if Ghost in the Shell and Wonder Woman hit as well. Scarlett Johansson and DC both carry a solid following that should lead to them being financially successful, but the quality could determine whether or not audiences want to see Atomic Blonde (regardless of whether that is fair or not). The film can avoid the need to rely on any other movies by having a fantastic marketing campaign, so Friday could go a long way in making that possible.
Source: Universal Pictures
- Atomic Blonde Release Date: 2017-07-28
