Ari Aster takes us back to 2020 in 'Eddington' trailer, a contemporary western set in the pandemic

A24 debuted the first complete official trailer of Eddingtonthe contemporary western of the screenwriter and director Ari Aster (Heredary, Midsummer) that celebrated its World Cup in Cannes in May and was received with divided criticism.

The main cast is made up of Joaquin Phoenix (Beau is Afraid), Pedro Pascal (Materialists), Emma Stone (Poor Things), Austin Butler (Elvis), Luke Grimes (Yellowstone), Deirdre O’Connell (The Penguin), Michael Ward (Top Boy), Amélie Hoeferle (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes), Clifton Collins Jr. (Nightmare Alley) y William Belleau (Killers of the Flower Moon).

The The film's plot takes place in 2020, having as a context the pandemic for the COVID-19with the local Sheriff AntimasCarillas (Phoenix) of the fictional Pueblo, Eddington, New Mexico, facing the mayor of the town, defender of the guidelines on the COVID-19 (Pascal).

The cast represents different perspectives on the spectrum of the pandemic.

Official synopsis:

“In May 2020, a confrontation between the Sheriff and the mayor of a small town lights tensions and divides the neighbors in Eddington, New Mexico.”

After making its premiere in the most recent edition of Cannes last May, Aster's proposal polarized the audiences, who were completely shown in favor or against Eddington.

Recall the reactions of the cast and Aster addressing the reactions of the controversial epic at a press conference in Cannes:

“It is very afraid to participate in a film that addresses topics like this”Pascal said in statements that have become viral, and continued: “It is a question too intimidating to me. I am not informed enough. I want people to be safe and protected. I deeply want to be on the right side of the story… I felt that [Aster] wrote something that reflected all our worst fearssince the confinement experience was already fracturing society. This was building towards a feeling of uncontrolled reality. There is a non -return point. It overwhelmed me that fear, and it is wonderful that Ari confirmed it. “

Aster for his part, he joined the conversation explaining: “I wrote this film in a state of fear and anxiety. I wanted to try to go back and show how you feel to live in a world where nobody agrees on what is real.”

This is Aster's fourth feature film, following the steps of the acclaimed horror tapes, Hereditary (2018) y Midsummer (2019), and tragicomedy Beau is Afraid (2023), starring Phoenix.

Eddington is produced by Aster, Lars Knudsen, and Ann Ruark, with executive producers Timo Argillander, Len Blavatnik, Danny Cohen, Alejandro de Léon, Robert Dean, Harrison Huffman, Todd Lundbohm, and Andrea Scarso.

On July 16 it will be screened in the Fantasia International Film Festival as the inaugural film.

A24 will premiere in theaters of the United States July 18, 2025.