The Full 'Twilight Zone' Trailer Will Instantly Grab Your Attention
Time to enter the Twilight Zone. CBS All Access has launched its first full look at its upcoming revival of the sci-fi phenomenon The Twilight Zone, and the star-studded teaser promises a creepy dive into otherworldly premises. The full Twilight Zone trailer doesn't focus on story specifics, but its quick shots and unsettling music already have my complete attention.
Premiering on the online platform CBS All Access on April 1, The Twilight Zone stars executive producer Jordan Peele as its host and narrator. The new teaser also introduces plenty of A-list stars falling victim to the original series' trademark of inexplicable oddness. Kumail Nanjiani appears as a man convinced he "changed something" in his life, while Parks and Recreation's Adam Scott is a traveler subjected to a chillingly coincidental flight. Tracy Morgan confronts someone, asking if he's happy with his life, while John Cho and Room's young Jacob Tremblay both seem tied to a politically themed story.
Originally airing from 1959 to 1964, The Twilight Zone focused on a brand new story and characters every week. While the revival's teaser initially seems to suggest that these stories are more intertwined, casting notices apparently confirm that its episodes are standalone tales. I wouldn't put it past Peele and his horror-writing skills to connect all of these individual stories through a big twist, but for now, I'm just intrigued to learn more.
Peele also appears in the trailer, and it looks like he's on the same diner set where a man confesses to a woman (Sanaa Lathan), "Life sometimes goes like you don't expect it to." As far as we know, Peele is just an all-knowing narrator rather than an actual character in The Twilight Zone, but perhaps his trailer cameo is worth remembering as the first season continues. After all, can we really cope with such confusing happenings that don't have a reason behind them? Maybe this new series will feature an underlying explanation that the black-and-white version never quite had.
Peele has previously spoken about his work being a homage to the first Twilight Zone and its host and creator Rod Serling, telling Variety, "If we approach it without ego and sort of bow to Serling, that will hopefully suffice for our fellow Twilight Zone fans but also bring back a show that I think is needed right now. Because it’s a show that has always helped us look at ourselves, hold a mirror up to society."
Other than restructuring The Twilight Zone for a 2019 audience, Peele also cited the show's original material as inspiration for his upcoming horror film Us. In an interview with Rolling Stone, he revealed looking toward a 1960 episode, "Mirror Image" as a starting point for the making of Us. Adam Scott's flight-themed moments in the teaser also allude to the new series' recreation of a Twilight Zone episode starring William Shatner that was called "Nightmare at 20,000 Feet."
I can already see the internet's complex breakdowns of Twilight Zone throwbacks appearing on Peele's show. Can it be April already?
The Twilight Zone premieres with two episodes on Monday, April 1, on CBS All Access. New episodes will then premiere on Thursdays starting on April 11.
