Once believed to be rooted in the Cloverfield universe, J.J. Abrams recently informed those in attendance at CinemaCon that the Julius Avery-directed Nazi-zombie horror flick, Overlord, is not connected to the Bad Robot franchise. However, given the generally unfavorable reception The Cloverfield Paradox received upon its Netflix release, and the horrific footage shown in Las Vegas last month, Overlord’s exclusion from the “Cloververse” might not be such a bad thing.
What was shown off for those in attendance apparently saw a woman reduced to nothing more than a head and spinal chord, yet somehow still left alive. It was reportedly “R-rated as hell” and came accompanied by the tagline, “Bad Robot’s first R-rated film.” Well, that nightmarish assessment was corroborated earlier today when Overlord landed a hard R-rating from the MPAA for “strong bloody violence, disturbing images, language, and brief sexual content.”
For those unfamiliar with the project, it takes place on the eve of D-Day and shadows a group of paratroopers who drop behind enemy lines to carry out a crucial mission. As they approach their target, it soon becomes apparent that there’s more going on in the Nazi-occupied village than a simple military operation.
Co-written by Academy Award nominee Billy Ray (Captain Philips) and Mark L. Smith (The Revenant), Overlord stars Wyatt Russell (Everybody Wants Some!!), Jovan Adepo (The Leftovers) and Ian De Caestecker (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D). Deemed one “crazy movie” and a “big-budget trip through hell itself,” it’ll open on October 26th later this year, making a stop on the summer film festival circuit, specifically Midnight Madness during the Toronto International Film Festival, a distinct possibility. As always, watch this space for more.