Netflix might be controlling its spending a little bit now, but is also still looking to put out gigantic blockbusters that rarely hit the big screen. Up next, we have the Russo Brothers’ The Electric State, an adaptation of Simon Stålenhag’s 2018 illustrated novel of the same name.
While the Russos’ The Gray Man didn’t resonate with critics nearly as well as everyone would’ve liked, it did well enough views-wise for Netflix, who remains quite interested in keeping the collaboration with the Marvel Studios legends going. If nothing changes, however, this will be their last Netflix-backed movie before returning to the MCU to tackle both Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars.
Ever since the first-look images were released, many readers have been criticizing the movie swapping out the more downbeat and depressive dystopian tone of the novel in exchange for a more familiar and adventurous feeling, which also applies to the visuals. This first trailer certainly does a better job of selling the flick, but it’s still a far cry from Stålenhag’s work, I’d say. You can watch it below:
Straight from Netflix, here’s the official synopsis that’s been released alongside the early teaser trailer: “Set in the aftermath of a robot uprising in an alternate version of the ’90s, The Electric State follows an orphaned teenager who ventures across the American West with a cartoon-inspired robot, a smuggler, and his sidekick in search of her younger brother.”
The reported budget sits at the insane $320 million mark, which half-explains how the cast is so stacked. It’s spearheaded by Millie Bobby Brown, Chris Pratt, Ke Huy Quan, Jason Alexander, Woody Norman, Giancarlo Esposito, and Stanley Tucci. Additionally, Woody Harrelson, Anthony Mackie, Brian Cox, Jenny Slate, Hank Azaria, Colman Domingo, and Alan Tudyk have voice roles in it.
The bigger question here, comparisons to the novel aside, is: Does the movie looks like a $320 million behemoth? I believe the answers is negative. Marvel scribes Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely also teamed up with the Russos once again for this one, so the end result should be a pretty good indicator of what to realistically expect from Avengers: Doomsday… unless the secret sauce to their success was pre-Phase 4 Kevin Feige all along. Looking at how both Cherry and The Gray Man turned out despite the entirely different genres they belonged to, maybe that theory is right.
Regardless, I’m sure most Netflix subscribers will give this a chance when it’s dropped on the platform on March 14, 2025. At the very least, it feels like it could be a nice flashy time-killer, but here’s hoping for something more memorable.