It’s up. IGN has an exclusive first look. Stop reading and…
Then come back and tell us what you thought. Or better yet, check out the Forum at lookforthenines.com.
There’s a YouTube version as well. Not as big or sharp, but handier.
This site is run by screenwriter John August. Most of the time, he answers reader-submitted questions about the craft, but occasionally he goes on tangents that run far afield of writing and filmmaking. You'll also find info on past, present and future projects.
For photos, blurbs and other self-promotion, you can check out his Facebook fan page.
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August 2nd, 2007 at 8:59 pm
The movie looks intricately woven. I loved that “Stop!” cut, when they freeze-frame and now they are editing the scene we were just watching. And it’s good to see Ryan Reynolds really stretching himself into new stuff. A lot of the mainstream stuff seems to have crammed him into the “cool funny guy” role.
And did I read this here, or was it just my impression of the trailer: the writer character is based a LOT off you?
Oh, and as someone fluent in ASL, would it be wrong to translate what Elle Fanning was signing? I ask because sometimes people cut sign language into a trailer because they are putting in Easter Eggs, and sometimes because they just think that sign looked cool for that moment. Don’t want to ruin anything.
August 2nd, 2007 at 10:23 pm
Bravo! It reminds me of how I felt when I saw the Matrix trailer - like I don’t get the whole story from the trailer, but I get enough to pull me in. Definitely a film I’d see — partly because Go is one of my all-time favs and yes, partly to see Ryan Reynolds play against type.
The only thing that took me out of the story - the quip “how many times should the number 9 come up?” and the character says “one out of ten.” Fine. But then you go and show dice. 9 wouldn’t come up one out of ten times with dice. It’d be a combinatorics problem to figure just how many times it’d come up on dice, but I don’t think it’d be 1 out of 10?
I did a quick calculation - I think 9 comes up (on dice) 1 out of every 9 times. Or am I wrong? I love being wrong.
Stupid nit, but you asked…
August 2nd, 2007 at 10:25 pm
OK, that was awesome.
August 2nd, 2007 at 10:36 pm
Earl (#1): What Elle’s signing isn’t a spoiler — that is, knowing it wouldn’t ruin anything — so translate away.
August 2nd, 2007 at 10:49 pm
I didn’t think so, but thought asking was fair. Not even sure if people were really curious, but everybody wants their moment to be unique, yes?
First shot: “Mom’s over there”, “there’s Mom, look”, that sort of thing. (If those two signs are indeed next to each other in the finished film)
Second shot: Little unclear, but I’d wager she’s saying “finished”, “over”, etc.
August 2nd, 2007 at 11:10 pm
The first one depends on what she is pointing to. If it’s Mr Reynolds then she is saying “You my mom” but if not then she is saying”There’s mom” pointing whereever she is. The second one is definatly finished though. Good job Earl.
Great stuff by the way. It is a really solid trailer that makes the movie look both unique and very interesting. I am really excited to see it.
August 2nd, 2007 at 11:45 pm
Frakk, now this is some sweet stuff. Like written before - I really hope to get a chance to see the film here in Europe. Now I´m hooked, thanks a lot.
August 3rd, 2007 at 12:14 am
man, I’m glad I check ign before going to bed. Can’t wait for it.
August 3rd, 2007 at 12:29 am
Wow - looks fascinating. Ryan Reynolds is a great actor, I’m glad to see him doing something different than he usually does.
August 3rd, 2007 at 12:36 am
Smashing! Thumbs up! Can’t for my life shake off the feeling that the trailer make the story look a tiny bit like a variant of the Truman Show - which is, just for the record, not bad at all. Definitely looks intriguing!
August 3rd, 2007 at 12:37 am
I liked the trailer, although I was surprised that the first half of it felt a bit like a horror film with the music and all. I thought (and from the look of the second half of the trailer and the clips you’ve previously posted) that The Nines was more of a surreal drama / thriller.
Really looking forward to seeing the film. Feels like it has a lot of potential.
Oh, and I loved the “The Sims” shot, haha.
August 3rd, 2007 at 12:55 am
Looks great.
Looks like a movie I really want to see.
August 3rd, 2007 at 1:30 am
Really cool. I look forward to seeing it on a big screen (but, I’ll settle for a medium to small screen).
I hope it’s received with as much enthusiasm and passion as was put into it…it’s a marathon that is just about at it’s end, and as that finish line is crossed and the world gets its look, yet another piece of you is out in the world, acting and reacting to those who take their fill, and with that infusion perhaps their puzzle will be that much closer to being finished.
Thanks for sharing, thanks for continuing to share…thanks for adding another story to the mix. It counts.
-RTA
August 3rd, 2007 at 4:36 am
damn that looks good.
August 3rd, 2007 at 4:57 am
Really good. I’m so sorry I won’t be seeing it in Venice.
August 3rd, 2007 at 5:20 am
Holy crap, John! Damn nice trailer! Can’t wait to see how the rest of the film plays out. Here’s hoping it gets picked up for wide release!
August 3rd, 2007 at 6:53 am
The first half of the trailer was very similar to other films I have seen. I was briefly disappointed, I am ashamed to write. The second half of the trailer was amazing. It could be for a completely different film.
August 3rd, 2007 at 7:53 am
My 7-year-old walked in while I was playing it and when the trailer was done said “I like that. I want to see that. Can I have that for my birthday?”
So that’s a good sign.
-Cecil
August 3rd, 2007 at 8:32 am
I thought it looked great. Very intriguing, giving just enough away… cant wait to see it.
One thing though… The titles’ font seems a bit of a curious choice. may sound a bit funny but i found it slightly out of keeping with the tone… a little grungy when the rest looks so slick. Is there a reason for this?
August 3rd, 2007 at 9:47 am
Oooh, this is one of those trailers that just makes me quake with anticipation.
As if it wasn’t already enough that Ryan Reynolds is one of my favorite actors, and that John wrote it - the damn thing looks amazing as well!
Can’t wait. When is it coming out? When?
xJ
August 3rd, 2007 at 10:03 am
Loved the trailer. Great song over the second half of it too. IF nobody has posted it yet, what song is it? I’m going to go look in the forums for the answer.
The first half has a horror-ish feel that I wasn’t expecting.
Do you think the trailer gave too much away? I feel like it did, but then it makes me think that it really didn’t and it has fooled me. Regardless, I am completely stoked to see the movie.
August 3rd, 2007 at 10:18 am
I was intrigued, it’s a film I would want to see, but like many trailers, I feel it tips its hand a little too much. I would have been content with just having been fed the questions/thoughts that Ryan’s character poses (think the house is haunted, how many times should the number 9 come up, what happens if I cross this line), but I didn’t need either the special effect ‘reveals’ or the clue that it may be some kind of elaborate game that he is going to “figure out”. Best of luck.
Anton
August 3rd, 2007 at 10:25 am
My brother has cautioned me against watching the trailer, because apparently the movie looks good but the trailer gives away too much… Was this one of the user-created trailers?
August 3rd, 2007 at 11:13 am
Anton (#22) and Lex (#23):
This is the “official” trailer. The contest is coming (soon).
It’s always tough to say how much to put in the trailer. Like you, I hate ones that give away the plot (or the twist). You’re going to have to trust me that this trailer doesn’t — there’s quite a bit we’re not showing, that make the experience of watching it quite a bit different than the trailer might lead you to believe.
Lex, it’s not clear whether your brother already saw the movie, but remember that he’s seeing things in the trailer with the knowledge of what role they play in the story. You’re just getting images, and trying to sort them out. It’s a different experience.
August 3rd, 2007 at 11:17 am
Christina - yes, the total 9 would come up 1 out of nine times on a roll of 2 dice. Of course, it’s only a nit if you think of Hope Davis’s character as a mathematician. More to the point, the rolling of the dice illustrates that it’s not just paranoia - that even in “random” situations, we see the number 9 constantly.
It was a good trailer, John. I really want to see the movie. However, I wanted to see it before because you wrote and directed it, and your name is a draw, I read your site, so I’m inclined to see your work through rose colored glasses, and I like the concept as you’ve described it, which seems to touch on the film’s thematic undercurrents rather than the substance of the plot, or stylistic choices.
I would say now that I’ve seen the trailer that this is a movie I would see anyway, if the name John August meant nothing to me. It’s catchy horror thriller beginning, then adds a layer of “The Game” and “The Truman Show” on top, all with a sort of psychological flavor that seems unique. I’d see the film regardless.
Of course, that could be the accomplishment of the editing staff who put together the trailer, rather than a mark in the movie proper’s favor. If you feel like the experience the trailer promises is like the experience the movie tries to deliver, then I think you’ve done excellent work.
August 3rd, 2007 at 11:35 am
John, saw the movie back in Sundance. Was my favorite film of the fest. (And I don’t think I’m saying that for talk-balk brownie points.) One thing I loved about the experience, though, was that I had utterly no pre-conceptions going in, no knowledge of the story, no baggage…so the twists and mind-games were that much more surprising.
The trailer is great, but it was wonderful to see The Nines with my tabula rasa. It’s too bad the realities of marketing, trailers, and hype force you to tip your hand.
Looking forward to seeing it a second time in theaters.
August 3rd, 2007 at 11:45 am
Looks interesting although the whole nines thing (at least as it comes off it in that trailer) makes it seem a bit like that recent clunker “the Number 23″. Also, wasn’t “your number is up” the tag-line for “The Frighteners”? Whatever, I’m sure I’ll be seeing this one.
August 3rd, 2007 at 1:45 pm
Oooooh!
August 3rd, 2007 at 2:24 pm
That trailer looks awesome! It’s been so long since I’ve been inspired by a preview and excited to see a movie! You’ve truly outdone yourself. I only hope I can make such an impact in my standup comedy! Congratulations! And THANK YOU for your hard work! It’s much appreciated!
August 3rd, 2007 at 2:45 pm
I loved this, John. Congratulations!!!!!!!! I bet it will come to Chapel Hill by the end of the year, at least that’s my hope.
August 3rd, 2007 at 3:34 pm
Ooooohhh… now I’m excited. And a little freaked.
August 3rd, 2007 at 5:06 pm
Creppy groovy! Waitasec… he’s a Sim ?!
August 3rd, 2007 at 5:08 pm
Ok. This looks ok. If ok means I totally want to see it this weekend
August 3rd, 2007 at 7:41 pm
Creepy!!
August 3rd, 2007 at 10:43 pm
That is soooo not what I was expecting just from reading your posts about it. Can’t say that I even know what I was expecting. But it’s nice that you’ve kept most of the story under wraps.
RED
August 4th, 2007 at 3:04 am
Loved the trailer and I also wanna say: Happy birthday!
August 4th, 2007 at 3:39 am
Excellent trailer. Can’t wait to see the movie. My only complaint is that the typeface of the title looks a bit clumsy, but that’s no big deal. I like the Sims bit. And the rest.
Lets just say it was worth of 58 minutes of downloading.
In other news, happy birthday, John!
August 4th, 2007 at 3:43 am
Happy birthday, John! I wish you the very best. Keep the good stuff coming!
August 4th, 2007 at 5:54 am
I remember seeing one man, two woman and little girl in this trailer. The man is probably the main character/protagonist. The blonde woman is a bit of a mystery. On the surface she is helping him, but we are as audience tricked into believing that she is really antagonist. The woman with dark hair is probably helping him, but he does not know or understand. The real enemy is the little girl.
The trailer is professionally produced. It looks like another mainstream hollywood movie, that is probably okay, but not a must to see.
Why would I see this ? The trailer in it selv does not raise my interest. There is one reason I might see it anyway: Only because John August is the man behind it !
and I may be wrong…
have a nice day
JBL
(Denmark- EU)
August 4th, 2007 at 8:51 am
Times like this make me glad I live in NYC, where almost every movie like this that’ll start with limited bookings is sure to come. Very eagerly looking forward to this - didn’t think the alternate “storylines” would intersect quite as literally as the trailer suggests.
August 4th, 2007 at 9:32 am
Re: The New york Times article - how the heck can you have gone this far without bothering to see 8 1/2? I’m curious to know what other milestones of cinema have failed to make your viewing list, and whether you think they are even relevant for someone who writes studio movies today. It also seems worth asking - with their recent deaths - have you seen many of Bergman or Antonioni’s movies?
August 4th, 2007 at 11:58 am
Hey John, great trailer - I also noticed today was your birthday. Happy Birthday. Hope you have a great day.
August 4th, 2007 at 12:51 pm
So you were born in August… Your movie comes out in August… and you name is… OH MY GAWD!! Sounds like the plot to a creepy-groovy movie: THE AUGUSTS
August 4th, 2007 at 1:01 pm
I’m very happy Melissa McCarthy’s in this…. and Ryan R looks great….. I hope it’s not gory or bloody. Please. Real suspense only? Fingers crossed…..
August 4th, 2007 at 1:27 pm
Looks VERY interesting. Nice job, John. Can’t wait to see it.
August 4th, 2007 at 1:29 pm
And a very happy birthday apparently.
August 4th, 2007 at 2:40 pm
Kiki (#44):
It’s not bloody or gory. We used exactly zero ounces of blood (real or fake).
August 4th, 2007 at 3:16 pm
I believe a character in the film sustains a minor toe injury, for which a dollop of blood was required. The film didn’t have an emormous budget, so I’m unsure if the blood was real or fake.
(Trump!)
August 4th, 2007 at 3:16 pm
And of course, a very Happy Birthday to you, Sir!
August 4th, 2007 at 4:30 pm
Crap! He’s right. There was probably .03 ounces of fake blood used. (At least, we told him it was fake.)
August 4th, 2007 at 7:33 pm
This Ryan character seems to know a lot about the film. I believe he is a spy and should be treated as such.
The Silent Treatment has been ordered by myself, and I hereby banish Mr. Ryan R from further spoilerish postings in John August’s blog. I have no real capabilities of doing this, seeing as John and I have never spoken personally. But I call upon fellow bloggers to unite in unseeing anything Ryan R posts.
This has been an announcement from your local B. Taylor “All About Blogs” News Radio.
(transcribed by Scott Frank, author of “The Lookout” and “Minority Report” - he was paid 37 million dollars for this transcription, which would officialy put “All About Blogs” out of business. Therefore this will be my last post for said organization. I bid you all farewell. It was a fun ride.)
COMING NEXT WEEK: The brand new, “All About Writer’s Blogs!” [exclamation point included, it may or may not indicate the amount of excitement contained within the often transcribed radio show]
August 4th, 2007 at 8:29 pm
Thanks for the YouTube version.
August 5th, 2007 at 1:50 am
By the way - sorry for putting this here, John, but do you by chance know anything about Josh Friedman? He hasn´t posted in his blog since January, and with this whole cancer story… maybe Hollywood is small enough so that you might know if he´s fine…
August 5th, 2007 at 4:27 am
looks pretty freakin’ boss, john… but when’s it coming to toronto?
August 5th, 2007 at 5:48 am
Ryan R eh? What if he is Ryan Reynolds, I cannot ignore Ryan Reynold’s spoilerish postings!
Trailer looks cool, I hope I can get to see this movie.
August 5th, 2007 at 9:07 am
John,
I’ll just preceed this comment with a big disclaimer: what I’m about to say is just my personal opinion, please ignore if it is unhelpful and take it with a huge pinch of salt. I just say this because I may be kind of blunt, (again coming from someone with absolutely no authority whatsoever, just a viewer with an interest in screenwriting) because I want to be honest and not just suck up to you.
My first impression of the trailer completely changed my expectation of what the film was about. I didn’t expect it to be sold as a psychological/supernatural chiller. i thought it was more Magnolia-esque (to coin a phrase).
Although the title is ‘The Nines’, I didn’t think that the number would be such a prominent part of the film (going solely by the trailer). And that shouldn’t be a problem…but I couldn’t help but be reminded of ‘The Number 23′, by the way he’s circling the nos. 9 on the paper etc.
That kind of turned me off it, giving me the impression that it is a ‘profound aspect’ of (Ryan Reynold’s character’s) life and maybe just another generic horror film.
But then I watched it again about 5 days later…
and it was amazing how different the trailer came across to me.
It seemed a lot more interesting, with a lot more going on then I originally thought. If a friend asked me, I would say it’s a sort of ‘Donnie Darko’ meets ‘Adaptation’ with a slight element of ‘Inland Empire’ (that’s my wannabe Hollywood speak over with!).
I always knew my perception of films could change on second/multible viewings, but this is the first time this has happened me with a trailer.
For some reason that I can’t put my finger on, I can’t help but think that this film is being ’sold’ against its generic expectation (I hope this makes sense).
I just very briefly scanned a few of the other comments and didn’t really like that some people are trying to ’solve’ or figure out the film. Perhaps the trailer is encouraging this, but in my opinion, that’s not what the purpose of a trailer should be.
I also now expect a twist in the ending, which I would prefer not to know, but then again that’s not because of the trailer, but rather as a result of reading one of your replies.
Okay, end of rant. I’m sorry to have gone on for so long, and I hope this in some way might be useful.
I’m looking forward to seeing the film when/if it comes to Ireland. Some of the imagery looks really impressive and cinematic, and I’m glad that it looks well directed.
Thanks for your patience if you’ve managed to read all this and for your continued work on the site.
Over’n out.
August 5th, 2007 at 11:12 am
Wow, great look to the film. I really like how you took what looks to be a darker theme and kept the brightness. I hate it when movies try to do too much with lighting. The muted indoor tones and bright outdoor tones were a nice touch also.
Also, by keeping plot points out of the trailer, it makes it even more compelling. Though I hate to sound like I’m critiquing, those were the things that struck me the most.
Props to your DP. Ryan Reynolds isn’t usually a favorite of mine but his performance has good depth to it in this. But then good dialogue makes it easier.
August 5th, 2007 at 2:26 pm
Jason (#53):
Josh is alive and well, just busy. I’ll be seeing him in 50 minutes and will harass him for being a blog-tease.
Brian (#56):
A totally valid reaction. The movie is actually much more like MAGNOLIA (or ADAPTATION) than THE NUMBER 23. If I have time, I’ll try to write up the whole backstory on the trailer in a later post.
The short version is that when we tried to cut a trailer that played funny/dramatic/quirky/suspenseful (that is, trying to mimic the shifting tones the movie) it was just plain baffling. The trailer needed to start as some identifiable genre, and then shift. We could have started as a comedy, but that would have made the whole thing feel very slight. It would also have been more difficult to segue into the second half of the trailer.
So although it’s not really a thriller, it is a mind-fuck movie, and that was easiest to indicate by showcasing the thriller-y moments in the first half.
August 5th, 2007 at 4:38 pm
I remember listening to you talk a little about this back in Austin last October. It’s nice to see the things not only worked out well…but they’re looking absolutely awesome. We need more of these types of movies…at least I do.
Looking forward to it big time!
August 6th, 2007 at 9:01 am
Wow. I was certain I’d be the only one to whom this occurred.
The Frighteners came out in ‘96. Back then, I was still freelancing in film marketing while my screenwriting career was nascent, and I took a gig at a trailer company to come up with a tag line for the movie. I wrote about fifty lines, but none of them were any good.
Total failure.
Three months later, I’m driving down Beverly or something, and I see a billboard for the movie with the line “Your number is up,” and I literally smacked myself in the head and said “D’oh!”
Perfect line for that movie.
Not that it helped the film open or anything…
But still.
Good news for John? Rick (#27) and I are probably the only people who remember this.
August 6th, 2007 at 9:24 am
Hey John,
Congrats on the trailer and the distribution! As it seems everyone is leaving their opinion, I’ll kick in my two cents - accept its worth with respect to how much I’m charging you for it.
I know I’m gonna see the movie (because you made it!); however, I’m not sure it’s a good trailer for folks who aren’t your fans or fans or Ryan Reynolds.
People complain that Hollywood shows too much of the movie in trailers. While I tend to agree, stats show that people prefer knowing what kind of movie they are buying a ticket for and that advanced knowledge of a film’s plot is appreciated.
As it stands, I don’t know what kind of movie The Nines is. I heard a lot of people make comparisons the The Number 23, and I’d say I’d have to fall in that group…and that’s not a good thing.
I appreciate the fact that you didn’t play the trailer as a comedy when it’s not, but I’d like to know what genre it falls into. From what is shown in the trailer, there seems to be a few genres it could fall into. If you’re classifying it as a psychological thriller, I need to see more thrills in the trailer.
You classify it as a mind-fuck, but I’m not sure I even get that in the trailer. I’d look at the trailer for Being John Malkovich or Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind to see how they showed mind-fuckery. Right now, I’d try to do as much as I could in the trailer to disassociate your film with The Number 23.
Sorry if I sound harsh. Once again, I’m a big fan and I’ll see the film no matter what - I just want others to see it too.
Peace!
August 7th, 2007 at 9:26 am
Oh, I thought the trailer very effective. I totally get the mind-fuck, I don’t wanna know ANY MORE. I want to see the movie, so I can LEARN what it’s about (which is the point of a trailer). In fact, I’m actually gonna stop reading any more, so I can come in clean for the real thing. (I think it’s getting a little critical in here. It’s a TRAILER, for Buddha’s sake.)
And now that I know there’s only a tiny bit of blood on a toe or two, I’m all in!