Life Trailer (2017)

Trailer for Life, starring Rebecca Ferguson, Ryan Reynolds, Jake Gyllenhaal and Hiroyuki Sanada.

Life tells the story of the six-member crew of the International Space Station that is on the cutting edge of one of the most important discoveries in human history: the first evidence of extraterrestrial life on Mars. As the crew begins to conduct research, their methods end up having unintended consequences and the life form proves more intelligent than anyone ever expected.

Life reunites Ryan Reynolds with scribes Paul Wernick & Rhett Reese, who previously worked together on Deadpool.

Ryan Reynolds also has a history with director Daniel Espinosa, with the two working together on the thriller Safe House. In that film, Ryan Reynolds plays a young CIA agent attempting to figure out which side he's on.

Daniel Espinosa has also directed Child 44, Outside Love, Easy Money and Babylonsjukan.

Life will hit theaters on May 26th, 2017. While the date is an obvious selection to open up the summer tentpole season, it also has consequences. Because of the date, Columbia Pictures will have the film go head to head at the box office against Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.

There is definitely a fascination of late coming out of Hollywood dealing with science fiction. Especially Mars. We have Arrival, Passengers, Passage to Mars, and so on. The sci fi genre has returned to find passionate fans, and the fandom seems to be growing. But with so many options of late, moviegoers have a lot of similar storylines to choose from. All of which are working to get them to spend money at the box office in hopes of something more unique.

While Life looks very interesting thanks to a strong cast, the over saturated sci fi genre might not allow enough room for this film to breath, let alone become a huge success. Besides the impressive ensemble, what the film does have are quire a few unique quirks that capture our imagination. Such as the idea that the first off-Earth life is (of course) not the friendliest.

It's just a matter of how well this science fiction tale can perform against the fantastical Pirates of the Caribbean behemoth. Considering that the Disney franchise is immune to just about everything, including disappointed fans, Columbia Pictures has to be pretty optimistic to share the weekend. That, or they are currently eyeing the calendar for better openings.