Rebels abound in this week’s batch of new trailers, from Lenny Bruce (the taboo-busting mentor of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”) to Robert the Bruce (the rabble-rousing subject of “Outlaw King”).
‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ (Due Dec. 5)
The Emmy-winning series about a 1950s Manhattan housewife-turned-standup (Rachel Brosnahan) announces its return in a trailer as colorful and ebullient as the first season. With its themes of female empowerment and sexism in comedy, “Mrs. Maisel” looks even more marvelously relevant the second time around.
‘Outlaw King’ (Nov. 9)
Chris Pine reteams with his “Hell or High Water” director, David Mackenzie, for this biopic of Robert the Bruce, the 14th-century Scottish monarch who led a revolution against England. The trailer teems with impressive battle scenes, but why is Netflix releasing this “Braveheart”-like epic only in select theaters while streaming it at the same time? It seems better suited to the big screen than, say, a smartphone.
‘Vox Lux’ (Dec. 7)
Lady Gaga is generating Oscar talk for her stripped-down performance in “A Star is Born,” and Natalie Portman may be among her competitors for her work as a Gaga-esque pop-music diva in this drama. The film’s first promotional clip emphasizes Portman’s flamboyant costumes and makeup, but strangely, we never see her singing any of the songs Sia wrote for the soundtrack.
‘Bird Box’ (Dec. 21)
John Krasinski scared up a box-office smash by playing a father fighting to protect his family from sound-seeking monsters in “A Quiet Place.” Now Sandra Bullock stars in Netflix’s similar-feeling thriller as a mom shielding her kids from evil by blindfolding them. It’s hard to say which is murkier: the trailer for “Bird Box” or its title.
‘Cold Pursuit’ (Feb. 8)
The promo clip for this Liam Neeson-led remake of the Norwegian comic thriller “In Order of Disappearance” can’t decide if it’s a “Taken”-style action flick or a black comedy. Neeson plays a snowplow driver seeking revenge against the drug thugs who killed his son. The use of Blue Oyster Cult’s kitschy hit “(Don’t Fear) the Reaper” indicates an underlying dark wit, but the relentless violence may leave viewers cold.