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The best movie and show trailers of the week of August 22

Kratos in Secret Level.
Prime Video

Megalopolis, Francis Ford Coppola’s passion project — and possibly his $120 million folly — would have kicked off this week’s list of the best movie and show trailers if not for one thing. The trailer called out Coppola’s critics for giving his all-time classic films bad reviews in order to counter the negative word of mouth that Megalopolis has been getting. Except all of those quotes were either fake or pulled from other reviews.

That’s why Lionsgate pulled the trailer from distribution, and someone is likely going to be fired over this humiliating gaffe. Fortunately, that wasn’t the only video we had lined up for this week’s list of the best movie and show trailers. And two of this week’s trailers are for upcoming video game adaptations.

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Secret Level

Mega Man in Secret Level.
Prime Video

Most video game adaptations are translated for the screen in very family-friendly ways, like The Super Mario Bros. Movie or the Sonic the Hedgehog films. So it’s refreshing to see something like Secret Level come along, because it’s going to be geared for a more mature audience. Deadpool director Tim Miller created this anthology, which is going to adapt characters from 15 different video game franchises.

Kratos from God of War and other Sony characters will be featured among the different shorts, which will also put the spotlight on Armored Core, The Outer Worlds, Warhammer 40,000, Dungeons & Dragons, and Exodus. The real surprise is that even Mega Man and Pac-Man are getting their own shorts in this series.

Secret Level - Teaser Trailer | Prime Video

Lego Pixar: BrickToons

Dash and Violet from The Incredibles in Lego Pixar: BrickToons.
Disney+

Lego Pixar: BrickToons is exactly what it looks and sounds like. Five of Pixar’s fan-favorite films — Cars, The Incredibles, Brave, Finding Nemo, and Coco — are getting a Lego makeover for a series of new short adventures that go beyond the movies. It’s the kind of kids programing on Disney+ that even older viewers should be able to appreciate.

LEGO Pixar: Bricktoons | Official Trailer | Disney+

Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft

Lara Croft holds onto a rope as she swings in Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft.
Netflix

Even now, Hayley Atwell would make a magnificent Lara Croft in live-action. But we’re going to have to settle for Atwell lending her voice to Lara in Netflix’s new animated series Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft.

Story details are still scarce about this show, but it’s set after the reboot trilogy that reenvisioned Lara as a young explorer, and the timeline is edging closer to the classic Tomb Raider adventures that made her a video game icon at the turn of the century.

Tomb Raider the Legend of Lara Croft | Official Teaser | Netflix

Kaos

Jeff Goldblum looking straight ahead leaning over a counter with both hands on it in a scene from Kaos on Netflix.
Justin Downing / Netflix

It turns out that Jeff Goldblum is a vengeful god … at least in the upcoming Netflix comedy Kaos. From the trailer, it looks like the show takes place in an alternate present where the Greek pantheon never gave way to Christianity or other religions. Thus, Zeus (Goldblum) and the other gods still hold some sway over humanity.

However, the people of this world are just as dysfunctional and self-destructive as they are in our world. That makes Zeus angry, and his sanity seems to be slipping away because he’s convinced that the time of the gods is coming to an end.

KAOS | Official Teaser | Netflix
Blair Marnell
Blair Marnell has been an entertainment journalist for over 15 years. His bylines have appeared in Wizard Magazine, Geek…
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