Voltage Pictures has released the trailer for Archenemy. Joe Manganiello plays inter-dimensional superhero Max Fist in the upcoming movie, which looks rather intense. Right off the bat, it’s clear to see that director Adam Egypt Mortimer set out to make a far darker superhero movie than what has been released recently. The colors are dark and the violence in all over the place. The only thing the trailer is short on is dialogue as we see each scene quickly transition to another.
In Archenemy, Max Fist isn’t a respected superhero as not a lot of people believe in his stories. However, a pair of teenage siblings, Hamster (Skylan Brooks) and his sister Indigo (Zolee Griggs), think Max has what it takes. The teenagers end up persuading him to help them take down a local drug gang, which is what we see hinted at in the trailer. Max Fist is certainly living up to his name, but is Joe Manganiello really the right superhero for this particular job?
As for why people don’t believe Max Fist, he claims to be a hero from another dimension who fell through time and space to Earth, where he conveniently has no powers to speak of. “Archenemy is about finding the heroes amongst us, and within us, something that I think everyone can relate to in today’s world,” said Voltage CEO Jonathan Deckter. “We’re thrilled to add this fun, action-packed superhero to our diverse lineup and are excited to work with Adam [Egypt Mortimer] and SpectreVision on our second film to bring this dynamic duo to the streets, and to our partners around the world.”
Adam Egypt Mortimer spoke about what it was like working with Joe Manganiello on Archenemy. Mortimer says, “he was wonderful to work with and he was really committed.” However, when it comes down to it, Max Fist is very much a character from the director, which he helped to guide. In the end, it sounds like it was the perfect collaboration. He explains.
“It’s still something that I created; it’s about a very disturbed character who is really haunted and traumatized, and Joe was pretty remarkable [at playing that]. For a guy who’s known for being so handsome and so charming to come in and be this really gnarly person, it was an interesting challenge for him, and he’s an exceptional actor. I’ve been finding and understanding – this being my third movie – working with actors who really want to find an opportunity to do something deep, and appreciate through what I’m trying to do with them, is the greatest part about what I’m doing as a filmmaker.”
At this time, Archenemy does not have a release date, but it is set to open sometime in 2021. SpectreVision’s Daniel Noah, Lisa Whalen and Elijah Wood are producing Archenemy, with Stacy Jorgensen executive producing alongside Voltage Pictures’ Babacar Diene (Ava, Fathers & Daughters). Kim Sherman is also producing. You can check out the Archenemy trailer above, which was a Variety exclusive.
