When you settle in for a Roland Emmerich movie, you pretty much know what you’re going to get. The filmmaker behind Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow is (with few exceptions) all about his epic blockbusters and spectacular set-pieces. If you’ve ever wondered what that style would look like applied to a World War II period film, let me introduce the new trailer for Midway.
Based on real-life events, Midway packs in an all-star cast in the story of the Battle of Midway, the history-altering naval battle that changed the course of the Pacific Theater in WWII, six months after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor. And of course, that includes an absolute avalanche of battle scenes and explosive action. It’s also got one heck of an ensemble, including Patrick Wilson, Woody Harrelson, Mandy Moore, and a very mustachioed Nick Jonas. I’m a fan of what Emmerich did with his last period war drama The Patriot, so I’ll be curious to see if he can channel that emotionality into one of his more spectacle-heavy outings.
From a script by Wes Tooke (Colony), Midway also stars Ed Skrein, Luke Evans, Aaron Eckhart, Etsushi Toyokawa, Tadanobu Asano, Luke Kleintank, Jun Kunimura, Darren Criss, Keean Johnson, Alexander Ludwig, with Dennis Quaid. Lionsgate will release the film in theaters on November 8.