Taglines: Why are they here?
An introductory sequence shows linguist Louise Banks’s daughter Hannah dying in early adulthood from an incurable illness.
Twelve extraterrestrial spacecraft appear at twelve locations across Earth. A U.S. Army officer, Colonel G.T. Weber, recruits Louise and physicist Ian Donnelly to find out why the aliens have come. Weber takes them to an army encampment in Montana near one of the craft. On board, Louise and Ian make contact with two seven-limbed aliens, whom they call “heptapods”; Ian nicknames them Abbott and Costello. Louise and Ian begin researching their written language of complicated circular symbols. As Louise studies the language, she starts to have visions of a child who seems to be her daughter.
When Louise is able to ask why the aliens have come, they answer “offer weapon”. However, China translates this as “use weapon”, prompting them to break off communications, and other nations follow. Louise argues that the symbol interpreted as “weapon” might mean “tool”, and that China’s translation results from the competitive nature of their interaction with the aliens.
Rogue soldiers plant a bomb in the Montana craft. Unaware, Louise and Ian re-enter the alien vessel, and the aliens give them an extremely complex message. Just before the bomb explodes, one of the aliens ejects Ian and Louise from the craft, knocking them unconscious. When they reawaken, the military is preparing to evacuate, and the craft has moved out of reach. Ian discovers that the symbol for time is present throughout the message, and that the writing occupies exactly one-twelfth of the space in which it is projected. Louise suggests that the full message is split among the twelve craft and that the aliens want all the nations to share what they learn.
China’s General Shang issues an ultimatum to the aliens, demanding that they leave within 24 hours; Russia, Pakistan, and Sudan follow suit. Louise goes alone to the craft and it sends down a shuttle to transport her inside. One of the aliens is dying from the explosion; the other explains that they have come to help humanity, for in 3,000 years they will need humanity’s help in return, and the “weapon” is their language, which changes humans’ linear perception of time, allowing them to experience ‘memories’ of things that have yet to happen. It is revealed that Louise’s visions of the young girl are premonitions of her yet-to-be-born daughter, Hannah, whose name is a palindrome.
Arrival is an American science fiction drama film directed by Denis Villeneuve and written by Eric Heisserer, based on the short story “Story of Your Life” by author Ted Chiang. The film stars Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker, Michael Stuhlbarg and Tzi Ma. Arrival had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 1, 2016. The film is scheduled to be released on November 11, 2016 in IMAX, by Paramount Pictures.
A teaser trailer was released in August 2016, followed the next week by the first official trailer. Paramount Pictures released a series of promotional posters, with one showing a UFO hovering above a Hong Kong skyline that included Shanghai’s Oriental Pearl Tower. The inaccuracy angered Hong Kong social media users. The posters were withdrawn and a statement attributed the inaccuracy to a third-party vendor.
In May 2014, while titled Story of Your Life, Paramount acquired the U.S. and Canadian distribution rights. Shortly after, Sony and Stage 6 Films acquired some international distribution rights, while Entertainment One acquired the UK distribution rights and Roadshow Films acquired Australian distribution rights, as well as Spentzos Films acquired distribution rights for Greece. The film had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 1, 2016. It also screened at the Toronto International Film Festival Telluride Film Festival, and the BFI London Film Festival. The film was released on November 11, 2016.
An adaptation of Ted Chiang’s “Story of Your Life” had been planned since at least November 2012, involving the production company FilmNation Entertainment. Jeremy Renner joined the film on March 6, 2015 to play a physics professor paired by the government with Adams’ character to help communicate with the aliens. Forest Whitaker signed on to the film in April 2015, with Michael Stuhlbarg joining the cast as CIA Agent Halpern that June.
Filming began in mid-June 2015, right after Renner completed the shooting of Captain America: Civil War. Principal photography on the film began on June 7, 2015 in Montréal, Québec, Canada. Jóhann Jóhannsson began writing the score around the time the shooting had commenced, drawing on the screenplay and concept art for inspiration. He developed one of the main themes in the first week using vocals and experimental piano loops.
Arrival
Directed by: Denis Villeneuve
Starring: Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, Forest Whitaker, Michael Stuhlbarg, Sangita Patel, Mark O’Brien, Abigail Pniowsky, Nathaly Thibault, Jadyn Malone
Screenplay by: Eric Heisserer
Production Design by: Patrice Vermette
Cinematography by: Bradford Young
Film Editing by: Joe Walker
Costume Design by: Renée April
Set Decoration by: Paul Hotte, André Valade
Music by: Jóhann Jóhannsson
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for brief strong language.
Studio: Paramount Pictures
Release Date: November 11, 2016
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