Last night an international version of the extended first look at Cloud Atlas, the new film from Andy and Lana Wachowski (The Matrix) and Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run) arrived online and this morning we get the domestic version along with a directors’ commentary video attempting to “explain how this happened”, which is to say how Cloud Atlas came together.
In the video the trio discuss a multitude of ideas and concepts the film explores, how the cast plays several different roles and how it was nearly impossible to sell until Warner Bros. finally “gave in” and agreed to distribute it domestically. Most of all, however, I’m happy to see the Wachowski siblings stepping out into the open and discussing their film whereas they have always seemed to be in the background. Seeing their excitement alongside Tykwer adds a little something to my anticipation in seeing it.
Just below I have included both the directors’ commentary and extended first look, both in HD (via Apple) along with the first teaser poster.
The film itself is based on the novel by David Mitchell and explores how the actions and consequences of individual lives impact one another throughout the past, the present and the future. Action, mystery and romance weave dramatically through the story as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero and a single act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution in the distant future. The film stars Tom Hanks, Ben Whishaw, Hugo Weaving, Susan Sarandon, Jim Broadbent, Jim Sturgess, Hugh Grant, James D’Arcy, Halle Berry and Keith David.
Cloud Atlas hits theaters on October 26 and will play the Toronto International Film Festival in September.
