The first full trailer for Netflix’s Lost in Space has arrived, and the Robinsons are playing a whole new ball game—with a very alien-looking robot.
The original Lost in Space was about the Space Family Robinson heading out into the unknown to pioneer a colonizing mission. This time around, as shown in the trailer, they won’t be the only ones out there: Hundreds of families have been selected to help explore the far reaches of space. However, it wouldn’t be Lost in Space without them, you know, actually getting lost.
We also get our first look at Dr. Smith, played this time by Parker Posey, who I’m really hoping reacts to something painful at some point.
I will admit the trailer is quite jarring. Things are really, really different—not only from the original series, but also the 1998 movie starring William Hurt, Mimi Rogers, and Matt LeBlanc. It’s darker, grittier, and more grounded. Still, the showrunner insists it’s still family fare. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, showrunner Zack Estrin called it “a true family adventure in the vein of the original Jurassic Park” and said it’s designed to appeal to both nostalgic fans of the original series and newcomers who might want something a little less campy in their science fiction.
“Fans of the original show should know we maintain the core of what was special about that experience of watching that as a child,” Estrin said. “For new fans of the show, there’s a certain baggage associated with the title. ‘Oh, that’s that campy show from the ’60s,’ or, ‘That’s that movie from the ’90s that was… what it was.’ We are taking that core of an idea—the Robinson family is striving to hold together and survive in this incredible circumstance.”
There’s also the matter of the robot. As shown in the trailer, the robot looks nothing like the original version. It’s basically a Geth from Mass Effect if it was wearing the new Klingon armor from Star Trek: Discovery. It’s weird, okay? Even more interesting: It’s also not part of their initial crew. Will Robinson finds the robot out in the wilderness, indicating that it’s actually an intelligent lifeform existing on its own. Estrin is keeping his cards really close to the chest as to the identity of the creature—not even revealing the actor playing the character since it’s a combination of CGI and practical effects.
Lost in Space, starring Molly Parker, Toby Stephens, Ignacia Serricchio and more, debuts on Netflix April 13.