Popular Mechanics USA - 03.2020 - 04.2020

So this is what happens when a Blade Runner fan also happens to be a multi-

billionaire. Released in November 2019 in Los Angeles, the exact time and

place of the 1982 movie, the Cybertruck is a cross between Doc Brown’s

DeLorean from Back to the Future and K’s far-flung Peugeot in Blade

Runner 2049. The future is very geometric, apparently, and Cybertruck fully

embraces angular sci-fi design. From a gearhead’s perspective, the newest

Tesla is completely perplexing. For a sci-fi fan? It’s love at first sight.

A Sci-Fi Defense of the Cybertruck

sequel. It could be good,

but we won’t hold out hope.

PRELIMINARY VERDICT: Skip

JULY 17 // TENET

Few things excite mov ie-goers

more than a new Christopher

Nolan film. Little is known

about his new project—until

this past December, we thought

it was going to be a full-on

spy thriller—but the recent

trailer hinted at so many sci-fi

elements (including some

timey-wimey stuff ), we’re

pretty confident Te n e t could

be one of the top sci-fi(ish)

films of the year. PRELIMINARY

VERDICT: Must See

AUGUST 21 // B I L L & T E D

FACE THE MUSIC

We’re suckers for time-travel

movies, and we’re particular

suckers for Bill & Ted time-

travel movies. So, we’re eagerly

awaiting the return of the

Wyld Stallyns. Face the Music

arrives nearly 30 years after

Bill and Ted’s last adventure,

Bogus Journey. With both

leads being more dad than rad

these days, this will likely be

a slightly different film than

what’s come before—but we’re

ready. PRELIMINARY VERDICT:

Must See

NOVEMBER 6 // ETERNALS

The Eternals have been part

of the Marvel Cinematic

Universe (MCU) for a while

now—you just didn’t know it.

In Guardians of the Galaxy,

the Collector (Benicio del

Toro) described Celestials—

gods, basically—with power

to annihilate entire planets.

The Celestials created

the Eternals, the result of

experiments on early humans,

and also the sinister Deviants.

Like Guardians, Eternals will

bring a heavier dose of sci-fi

to the Marvel film lineup and

will help illuminate some

of the cosmic machinations

that put the U in the MCU.

PRELIMINARY VERDICT: Looks

Promising

DECEMBER 18 // DUNE

Starring everyone (Timothée

Chalamet, Jason Momoa,

Oscar Isaac, Dave Bautista,

Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård,

Javier Bardem, Rebecca

Ferguson, Zendaya), Dune is

the 2020 interpretation of one

of sci-fi’s most holy texts. It’s

shaping up to be an absolute

monster of a film poised to be

the Next Big Sci-Fi Thing. 

Set some 20,000 years into

humanity’s future, when our

race has spread across the uni-

verse, an epic clash between the

houses Atreides and Harkonnen

unfolds on the desert world of

Arrakis. The struggle’s outcome

will change the future forever.

Dune’s s p r a w l h a s d e f i e d

cinematic interpretation for

decades. The book was first in

the hands of filmmaker Alejan-

dro Jodorowsky, then those of

David Lynch, who spun the text

into what is still considered his

most divisive film.

Hopefully, third time’s a

charm as director Denis Ville-

neuve tries to wrangle author

Frank Herbert’s epic imagina-

tion into a manageable runtime

(though it's already going to be

be at least two movies). Ville-

neuve’s proven himself this

generation’s sci-fi master with

Arrival and Blade Runner 2049.

Be prepared. Greatness is in the

making. PRELIMINARY VER-

DICT: Must See

COURTESY TESLA

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