At CinemaCon on last Wednesday, Monkeypaw Productions unveiled the first trailer for Him, a chilling sports horror film directed by Justin Tipping. The movie, set to hit theaters on September 19, blends the intensity of football with supernatural terror.
Starring Marlon Wayans, Tyriq Withers, Julia Fox, and Tim Heidecker, Him follows the story of a talented young football player who seeks to improve his game at an isolated training compound under the guidance of an aging quarterback from a legendary team. However, the compound harbors dark secrets. From the trailer, it becomes clear that the facility has sinister, occult undertones—featuring eerie goat imagery, blood-soaked rituals, and temptations in the form of alluring, scantily clad women.
Wayans, whose character is a hard-nosed coach, provides a voice-over in the trailer: “Do you want this? I said, do you want this? Training, lifting, running, sweating, intense. Talent is how hard you are willing to work, no days off, mostly we grind. I am never good enough. I am never good enough.” The trailer hints at the psychological and supernatural challenges ahead, with flashes of horned creatures, ghostly apparitions, and monstrous entities that blur the line between reality and nightmare.
“We were intrigued by the idea of mixing live sports with horror, something that feels memorable and unique, that burrows under the skin,” said Withers, reflecting on the film’s premise before the footage premiered.
Wayans added a twist to the film’s genre, saying, “It’s not like Rudy… but it’s a sports movie with a twist.”
The film’s chilling tone and suspenseful narrative mark Him as one of the most unique horror films of the year. Withers teased that audiences would see a side of Wayans they’ve never seen before, adding, “You have never ever seen Marlon like this, ever, ever, ever.”
As the NFL season approaches, Him is set to captivate fans with its innovative approach to combining the high-stakes world of football with the horrors of the supernatural.
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