For some time now Warner Bros’ mystery movie Flowervale Street has been generating some curiosity among movie fans. In fact, there’s one sect of audience members that have been posing a large scale query about just what Ewan McGregor and Anne Hathaway’s new sci-fi thriller is here to do. This morning gave us our first clues, as the newly retitled The End of Oak Street has unleashed its first trailer; leaving J.J. Abrams’ latest producing effort to rouse the rabble once again.
Before we go any further, please watch this teaser for director David Robert Mitchell’s new picture, courtesy of Warner Bros.:
Now that the band-aid is off, and we’re all sitting in the afterglow, let’s ask, and potentially debunk, that several million dollar question.
Question: Is The End Of Oak Street The Next Cloverfield Movie?
Right from the jump The End of Oak Street’s vague synopsis had fans wondering if another anthological entry to director Matt Reeves’ American kaiju film was on the way. That lens intensifies with this footage, thanks to a rampaging creature stomping its way across the screen – while being obscured by some windows.
We’ve already seen several of the hallmarks from a Cloverfield production pop up in this picture’s lifecycle. That list includes:
- A placeholder title with a street name just waiting to be changed.
- Intense secrecy surrounding said production.
- A teaser full of vague imagery dropping us in the middle of the action.
- A J.J. Abrams producing credit.
- Michael Giacchino set to compose the score.
If it walks like Clover, and sounds like Clover, it has to be that baby beastie – right? Actually, if you’re asking me – a professional Cloverfield fan – if The End of Oak Street fits into this pattern, I’d confidently answer as follows. I hate to disappoint anyone who was really looking forward to that long in development sequel to 2008’s Cloverfield, but this isn’t it.
And the first clue lies in the fact that The End of Oak Street doesn’t look to be set in a time period contemporary to Clover’s arrival in New York City. Come to think of it, this looks like a land before time…
Answer: The End Of Oak Street Isn’t A Cloverfield Movie…IT’S A DINOSAUR PICTURE!
Sure, 10 Cloverfield Lane and The Cloverfield Paradox take place in different times (and dimensions) than the root entry of Paramount’s dormant franchise – but that’s not what’s going on here.Look at the creature stampeding past the windows at the end, and really listen to its roar. That, my friends, walks and talks like a dinosaur.
Could it be a placeholder sound? Yes, it could. But at the same time, looking at the vegetation revealed at the literal end of Oak Street, has me singing this particular song a bit louder. Also, get a load of the official teaser poster for The End of Oak Street, complete with some dino prints for evidence:
And if you really want me to deliver the kill shot to this Cloverfield theory, here’s the double tap. That saga is set up at Paramount, with a different writing/directing team. Whereas The End of Oak Street is a Warner Bros. picture, written and directed by the man behind It Follows. Coincidentally if I’m right, I feel sorry for those dinos. This does look like a film set in the ’70s, and that gas shortage probably has people looking at these wild denizens as potential fuel and/or food.
Personally, debunking the Cloverfield theory has me even more excited to take this adventure. If you’re in the same bubble as me on that front, you can join me in waiting patiently to see what lies at The End of Oak Street – only in theaters – on August 14th. For all further developments on the latest and greatest in pop culture, keep it tuned to THS’ Movie News Archives in the months to come. Who knows what’s truly out there…
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