Robots, space shuttles, Jennifer Lopez; it’s the intriguing recipe that Netflix has thrown together for its latest sci-fi blockbuster Atlas and strangely, it almost works. The streamer has just unveiled the first trailer for Brad Peyton’s upcoming action epic, which throws J-Lo into the shoes of Atlas Shepherd, “a brilliant but misanthropic data analyst with a deep distrust of artificial intelligence”. When a mission to capture a rogue robot from her past takes a fiery turn, she’s forced to confront her deepest fear to save humanity. If you thought that meant Jennifer Lopez would be strapping into an animatronic war machine and blasting off into space, strangely, you’d be correct.
So, what’s in store for Jenny from the Block ‘Em, Sock ‘Em Robots? As per the official synopsis for the film, Shepherd joins a mission to capture a renegade robot with whom she shares a mysterious past. When plans go awry, her only hope of saving the future of humanity from AI is to trust it.
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Lopez, a prolific actress with a string of recent film credits, has starred in several successful movies, including Netflix‘s action thriller The Mother, romantic comedies such as Shotgun Wedding and Marry Me, and most recently took the lead role in Prime Video‘s limited series This Is Me…Now: A Love Story, which premiered last month alongside her ninth album of the same name.
But now, Lopez is leading the fight for humanity and joining her is an oddly emblematic cast. Marvel action star and our second favourite Ken Simu Liu will make an appearance, alongside Oscar favourite Sterling K. Brown, Gregory J. Cohan, Abraham Popoola, Lana Parrilla, and Mark Strong. The heart-stopping teaser, clocking in at under two minutes, throws viewers into the heart of the chaos. We see Lopez’s Atlas bloodied but determined, piloting a powerful mech suit as she tries to communicate back to her team. “Do you copy?,” says Lopez in the trailer as we shots of her past life.
“The future of humanity is in her hands,” the tagline proclaims as Lopez’s Atlas fights off attackers in her hulking mech suit. “Fire thrusters now!” Lopez shouts in the dramatic scene, her vessel visibly damaged. The teaser ends with Lopez’s final desperate plea as she calls out: “Mission control, this is Atlas Shepherd. Do you hear me?”
Peyton helms the direction with a screenplay penned by Leo Sardarian and Aron Eli Coleite. The impressive lineup of producers includes Peyton himself, alongside Lopez, Jeff Fierson, Joby Harold, Tory Tunnell, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Benny Medina, Greg Berlanti, and Sarah Schechter. The movie is a collaborative effort between Safehouse Pictures, ASAP Entertainment, Nuyorican Productions, and Berlanti-Schechter Films. Atlas hits Netflix on May 24, 2024.