If you had picked up a copy of the New York Times today, you would have noticed that pages 9 and 10 were almost completely blank, save for a URL reading “wordsarelife.com” at the bottom of page 10. Curious? That is precisely what Fox is hoping for as the release date for the upcoming World War II drama The Book Thief draws near.
With the release of a new U.K. trailer and a bold advertising campaign in the New York Times, Fox is showing their confidence in a film that may turn out to be an under-the-radar Oscar contender. Several pieces lending potential to that goal are already in place, from the best-selling source material of Marcus Zusak’s novel to a cast boasting an Oscar winner in Geoffrey Rush, a two-time Oscar nominee in Emily Watson, and promising newcomer Sophie Nelisse.
The film will tell the story of Liesel (Sophie Nelisse), a young girl living outside of Munich with her foster parents during World War II who hide a Jewish refugee in their home. While most of the advertising behind the film has centered on the relationship of Liesel and her foster father Hans (Geoffrey Rush), the new international trailer delves a little deeper into the plot and highlights some of the key relationships in the film. Most notably, we get a glimpse of Liesel’s blonde-haired neighbor Rudy (Nico Liersch), and a closer look at Liesel’s relationship with the refugee Max (Ben Schnetzer).
Check out the new trailer below:
In addition to the trailer, we also have a short clip from the film to whet your appetite. After finishing reading her first book, Liesel is brought down into the basement by her father and shown where he has created a dictionary to help her continue her reading:
How does The Book Thief look to you so far, is it giving off Oscar nominee vibes? Let us know in the comment section below.