Not to be confused with The Great Wall, Zhang Yimou’s lavish Chinese epic, the first trailer for Doug Liman’s wartime thriller The Wall has debuted online, and orders Aaron Taylor-Johnson and WWE superstar John Cena far into enemy territory.
If American Sniper drew praise as a taut character study of one Chris Kyle, both on and off the battlefield, The Wall reins the scope in further still to focus on two soldiers (Taylor-Johnson and Cena) pinned down by a seemingly relentless Iraqi sniper. It’s an old-school standoff set under the scorching desert sun, but to make matters worse, the makeshift fortification that separates hunted from hunter is crumbling – and crumbling fast.
As the director behind The Bourne Identity and the rather excellent Edge of Tomorrow, Doug Liman knows a thing or two about engineering a nail-biting action experience that keeps viewers rooted to the edge of their seats. The Wall looks to be no different, and we’re intrigued to see how the interplay between Taylor-Johnson and Cena, a relative newcomer to the world of cinema, plays out in full. Here, the official pitch teases a story of “two soldiers pinned down by an Iraqi sniper, with nothing but a crumbling wall between them. Their fight becomes as much a battle of will and wits as it is of lethally accurate marksmanship.”
Amazon Studios and Roadside Attractions have joined forces to release the military thriller across theatres. No word yet on whether Liman’s actioner will premiere via Amazon Prime as well, but stay tuned for more.
Look for The Wall to hit select theatres on March 10, 2017.