Sony Pictures has debuted the brand new trailer for Afraid, an upcoming sci-fi horror film from Academy Award-nominated writer/director Chris Weitz (Operation Finale; About a Boy; American Pie) that introduces a whole new kind of terror to the world with AIA, who is basically a Siri-like family assistant that takes her job way, way too seriously.
The film's synopsis reveals, "Curtis (John Cho) and his family are selected to test a revolutionary new home device: a digital family assistant called AIA. Taking smart home to the next level, once the unit and all its sensors and cameras are installed in their home, AIA seems able to do it all. She learns the family's behaviors and begins to anticipate their needs. And she can make sure nothing – and no one – gets in her family’s way."
The cast features John Cho (Star Trek; Searching; Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle), Katherine Waterston (Fantastic Beasts; Inherent Vice; Alien: Covenant), Havana Rose Liu (No Exit; The Chair; Mayday), Lukita Maxwell (Generation; Speechless; The Young and the Restless), David Dastmalchian (The Dark Knight; Ant-Man; Dune), and Keith Carradine (Nashville; The Duellists; Dexter).
Weitz, who has an Oscar nomination for Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay under his belt, previously contributed to the screenplay for The Creator, another artificial intelligence-centric film, although that Gareth Edwards-directed adventure depicted AI in a far more favorable light. Read our interview with director Gareth Edwards by heading HERE!
This is just the latest in a string of films featuring AI characters in recent years, joining the likes of M3GAN (2022), After Yang (2022), The Creator (2023), Jung_E (2023), Mother/Android (2022), and Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (2023).
Jason Blum and Blumhouse are attached as producers, so this film could be one to look out for near the end of the summer as it may be one of the more entertaining titles in early September as we all await the major releases heading our way in the fall, including Joker: Folie à Deux (October 4), Venom: The Last Dance (October 25), Gladiator 2 (November 22), Wicked: Part One (November 27), and The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (December 13).
Afraid hits theaters on August 30!
Watch the official trailer below:
In AFRAID, Curtis (John Cho) and his family are selected to test a revolutionary new home device: a digital family assistant called AIA. Taking smart home to the next level, once the unit and all its sensors and cameras are installed in their home, AIA seems able to do it all. She learns the family's behaviors and begins to anticipate their needs. And she can make sure nothing – and no one – gets in her family’s way.