‘Annihilation’ First Look: New Film From Writer, Director of ‘Ex Machina’ and ’28 Days Later’

A biologist (Natalie Portman) struggles for answers and the truth after her husband (Oscar Issac) signs up for a “suicide mission” in the newest film from the writer and director of Ex Machina.

On Wednesday, Paramount Pictures unveiled the first teaser trailer for sci-fi adventure Annihilation, starring Portman and Issac.

From Paramount:

“Based on Jeff VanderMeer’s best-selling Southern Reach Trilogy, Annihilation stars Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson, Tuva Novotny and Oscar Isaac. It was written and directed by Alex Garland (Ex Machina, 28 Days Later).”

Garland wrote and directed 2014’s Ex Machina, for which he received an Oscar nomination for writing, and was also the writer behind highly-acclaimed zombie horror film 28 Days Later and the comic book adaptationm Dredd.

VanderMeer’s 2014 novel of the same name is the first in the “Southern Reach Trilogy,” and follows a team of four female scientists who venture into a mysterious place known as Area X. The women’s venture is the 12th expedition into the area. Members of previous expeditions have disappeared, committed suicide, been diagnosed with aggressive cancers, or experienced some form of aggressive trauma.

The novel won the science fiction Nebula Award for Best Novel in 2014.

Watch the Annihilation teaser trailer below and see it in theaters on Feb. 23, 2018.