Stop-motion connoisseurs Aardman Animations are getting back into the game with Early Man, a prehistoric adventure starring Eddie Redmayne, Tom Hiddleston and Game of Thrones starlet Maisie Williams.
Slated for January of 2018, today brings forth the very first teaser trailer for Nick Park’s old-timey adventure flick, and fans of Aardman’s decorated body of work (see: Wallace and Gromit and Chicken Run) ought to feel right at home. Up above, we’re introduced to plucky caveman Dug (Redmayne), a hero from the Stone Age with more courage than sense.
Placed at the forefront of his hapless tribe – here we see Dug’s allies scuppering a hunting trip, blissfully unaware that they’re creating too much noise – Redmayne’s protagonist spearheads a fight against the mighty Lord Nooth (Hiddleston), a ridiculously pompous governor/tyrant who hails from a neighboring Bronze Age town. Williams, meanwhile, is attached to the part of Goona, a gallant and indomitable rebel who strikes up an unusual friendship with Dug.
Hiddleston’s nemesis is nowhere to be seen in today’s fleeting teaser – ditto for Maisie Williams – but with ten months still to go until the film’s UK debut, there’s still plenty of time left for the creative masterminds at Aardman to generate excitement. Selina Griffiths, Gina Yashere, Timothy Spall, Richard Ayoade and Johnny Vegas are among the ensemble cast.
Early Man is expected to march into UK theaters first on January 26th, 2018, before opening in France on January 31st. We’ll keep you posted as both Aardman and StudioCanal nail down their release plans for other territories.
Set at the dawn of time, when prehistoric creatures and woolly mammoths roamed the earth, EARLY MAN tells the story of how plucky caveman Dug (voiced by Eddie Redmayne), along with sidekick Hognob, unites his tribe against the mighty Bronze Age in a battle to beat them at their own game. It also marks Nick Park’s first feature film since Academy-Award winning WALLACE AND GROMIT: THE CURSE OF THE WERE-RABBIT. Supported by accomplished screenwriter Mark Burton this new film unleashes an unforgettable cast of hilarious new characters.