James Gray’s ‘Armageddon Time’ Trailer with Hopkins & Hathaway

James Gray’s ‘Armageddon Time’ Trailer with Hopkins & Hathaway

by Alex Billington
September 6, 2022
Source: YouTube

“Life is unfair. Be thankful when you get a leg up.” Focus Features has revealed the first official trailer for James Gray’s new film Armageddon Time, an autobiographical look at his time growing up in New York City. This originally premiered at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival a few months ago, and it just premiered at the 2022 Telluride Film Festival this past weekend. It’s also playing at the New York Film Festival, which seems like it’s grand “coming home” party. From acclaimed filmmaker James Gray (We Own the Night, Two Lovers, The Immigrant, Ad Astra), Armageddon Time is a deeply personal story on the strength of family, the complexity of friendship and the generational pursuit of the American Dream. The film features an all-star cast starring Michael Banks Repeta (aka just Banks Repeta) as the boy named Paul, plus Jaylin Webb, Ryan Sell, Anthony Hopkins, Anne Hathaway, and Jeremy Strong. Reviews from festivals have been mixed, but the performances are the best part about it. This is a bit of an odd trailer playing up the music & vibes of the 1980s, then switching to seriously heavy drama, though I’m not sure it works well.

Here’s the official trailer (+ poster) for James Gray’s Armageddon Time, direct from YouTube:

Set against the backdrop of a country on the cusp of ominous sociopolitical change, Armageddon Time follows Paul Graff (Banks Repeta), a sixth grader who dreams of becoming an artist. At the same time that Paul builds a friendship with classmate Johnny (Jaylin Webb), who’s mercilessly targeted by their racist teacher, he finds himself increasingly at odds with his parents (Jeremy Strong and Anne Hathaway), for whom financial success and assimilation are key to the family’s Jewish-American identity. Paul feels on firmest ground with his kind grandfather (a marvelous Anthony Hopkins), whose life experiences have granted him a weathered compassion. Armageddon Time is a very personal story both written and directed by acclaimed American filmmaker James Gray, director of the films Little Odessa, The Yards, We Own the Night, Two Lovers, The Immigrant, The Lost City of Z, and Ad Astra previously. This initially premiered at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival earlier in the year. Focus Features will release Gray’s Armageddon Time in select US theaters starting November 11th, 2022 later this fall. Who wants to watch this? Looking good?

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