One of the films I left off my list of “The Impossible because Summit had done essentially nothing to lead me to believe it would actually hit theaters this year. Well, I was off by ten days.
This morning the studio announced a December 21, 2012 in New York and Los Angeles in the tsunami picture starring Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor, which definitely insinuates they think it’s an awards season contender. Last year Summit managed to maneuver rather well in the final hours and scored an Oscar nomination for Demian Bichir in A Better Life despite the film being released in June and only pulling in $1.7 million at the domestic box-office. This year it looks like they are going the more traditional route.
The film is based on a true story of a family spending Christmas in Thailand, but on the morning of December 26th a tsunami rises out of the ocean and traps them and tens of thousands of strangers, in the mayhem of one of the worst natural catastrophes of our time.
So far we’ve only seen a Spanish-language teaser for the film, which I’ve included below along with the full synopsis. I have also just added three international posters and eight images from the film to the gallery right here, but I expect with this release date announcement we’ll be getting more soon.
From Summit Entertainment. A powerful story based on one family’s survival of the 2004 tsunami, The Impossible stars Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor and is directed by J.A. Bayona (The Orphanage).
Maria (Naomi Watts), Henry (Ewan McGregor) and their three sons begin their winter vacation in Thailand, looking forward to a few days in tropical paradise. But on the morning of December 26th, as the family relaxes around the pool after their Christmas festivities the night before, a terrifying roar rises up from the center of the earth. As Maria freezes in fear, a huge wall of black water races across the hotel grounds toward her.
Based on a true story, The Impossible is the unforgettable account of a family caught, with tens of thousands of strangers, in the mayhem of one of the worst natural catastrophes of our time. But the true-life terror is tempered by the unexpected displays of compassion, courage and simple kindness that Maria and her family encounter during the darkest hours of their lives. Both epic and intimate, devastating and uplifting, The Impossible is a journey to the core of the human heart.
