Directed by Olivia Newmanwith co-writer John Whittington, “Remarkably Bright Creatures,” an upcoming film based on the hit debut novel of the same name by Shelby Van Pelt, is set to release May 8. Netflix recently released a trailer following an earlier teaser for the movie.
Sally Field will be playing Tova, a grieving, widowed mother who works night shifts cleaning at an aquarium. As she works, Tova begins to form an unlikely bond with a Giant Pacific octopus*, Marcellus, and a newcomer to the town, Cameron, played by Lewis Pullman. Marcellus, who has a voice of his own in the novel, will be voiced by Alfred Molina.
Though the movie has yet to be released, from what viewers can see in the trailer, it’s already proving loyal to the book. The story takes place in a fictional coastal town of the name Sowell Bay, and seconds in, the trailer already establishes the setting. While the story is not completely setting nor character focused, but seem carefully crafted to still hold on screen.
The aquarium in the movie also adds to the cozy setting. It doesn’t look exaggerated and illustrates the normal, mundane feel the story creates, not to be confused with boring. The story explains themes of friendship and love, creating a comforting world to be a part of.
The plot, which follows Tova’s grief journey after the death of her husband and the disappearance of her son, is also not sugar-coated in this trailer. Cameron’s journey to find his birth father is also reflected, showing the perseverance readers went through in his chapters in the novel.
Through Marcellus’ chapters in the book, readers quickly get clues that tie Tova and Cameron together, and his narration in the trailer begins to give us this. Hopefully, we continue to hear just as much as we did from book Marcellus during the movie.
Tova’s first line in the trailer is with Cameron, and already, their relationship is clear. Sarcastic, snarky and a bit uncomfortable, two opposites finding similarities in the aquarium. From just a two-minute trailer, you can already see how far they’ve come since their first meeting.
While the trailer holds mostly true to the book so far, Van Pelt did come out to explain that some differences are to be expected. While she did oversee the making of this movie, she did not participate in writing the script.
“There are a few scenes in the film which are not in the book,” Van Pelt said. “To the extent the plot deviates, I am not bothered by it.”
She later wrote in the same post that the film gets the characters right and that she has her own cameo at some point, as well as that she had time on set in Vancouver. Van Pelt also expressed her love for the cast and how perfectly they fit for each of the characters.
The movie is setto have a run time of 112 minutes and is rated PG-13.
