Guillermo del Toro is off to the carnival in the teaser for Nightmare Alley. The director's latest production revealed its first footage today with a trailer that teases a gruesome tale of a carnival populated by fishy characters.
The trailer introduces us to Stan Carlisle (Bradley Cooper), a carnival worker advertised to have the powers of a mind reader. As Stan's talents bring him into contact with wealthier clientele, he meets a shady psychiatrist (Cate Blanchett) who has her own dangerous skills.
The teaser also shows footage of Willem Dafoe as a carnival barker, Rooney Mara as one of Carlisle's fellow carnies, and Toni Colette as a tarot reader. Richard Jenkins, Ron Perlman, and David Strathairn are also featured in the trailer.
"Step right up and behold one of the unexplained mysteries of the universe," shouts Willem Dafoe's character. "Is he a beast or is he a man? You're in luck because tonight you will see him feed."
Along with the first teaser, Nightmare Alley also premiered its first images earlier this week as well as its first official poster on Wednesday.
Nightmare Alley
A Film by Guillermo del Toro
Only in Theaters December 17 @RealGDT pic.twitter.com/LGFvCo1wLl
— Nightmare_Alley (@Nightmare_Alley) September 15, 2021
Whether Bradley Cooper is playing a man or a beast in Nightmare Alley will be revealed when the movie hits theaters on December 17. The release date places Guillermo del Toro back in the throes of awards season, four years after his Best Director win for The Shape of Water at the 90th Academy Awards.
J. Kim Murphy is a freelance entertainment writer.