Mortal Engines takes place in a post-apocalyptic England where massive wheeled cities roam the blasted landscape, hunting down smaller wheeled towns and consuming them for parts, fuel and labor — and you can get a look at exactly that process in the movie’s first trailer above.
The film is based on Philip Reeve’s 2001 young adult novel, which follows the adventures of Tom Natsworthy, third-class apprentice in the Guild of Historians in the town of Salthook. Tom’s adventure begins when his home is literally devoured by the city of London.
Mortal Engines is the first feature from director Christian Rivers, who has spent his career working on storyboards and visual effects in Peter Jackson productions, as well as directing second units in the Hobbit trilogy, King Kong (2005) and Pete’s Dragon. But the biggest name attached is undoubtedly Peter Jackson himself, who produced and wrote Mortal Engines with his longtime collaborators Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens.
The film stars Robert Sheehan (Misfits) as Tom Natsworthy, as well as Hugo Weaving and Hera Hilmar.