A new clip has arrived for Charlize Theron’s upcoming action/spy thriller, Atomic Blonde and as expected, there’s plenty of carnage to take in. Based on Antony Johnston’s 2012 graphic novel The Coldest City, Atomic Blonde was handpicked by Theron, earning her a producer credit alongside her lead role as Lorraine Broughton, a Cold War era M16 agent sent to Berlin to deliver an extremely valuable dossier.
Theron’s passion for the project has been well-documented to date, having purchased the rights to the graphic novel five years earlier. Lorraine Broughton’s strength and unapologetic demeanor make her a new type of action star and that’s exactly what drew Theron’s Oscar winning instincts to the character and story as a whole. So far everything we’ve seen of the film has been a high-octane punch and kick fest and this latest clip is certainly no different.
Dubbed Atomic Summer Chapter 1: Father Figure, this latest clip (above) is courtesy of Universal’s YouTube channel and although it comes in just under two minutes in length, it’s chock full of intense action. Theron uses everything and anything in her immediate field of vision to clear out a room of German police, before making a cleverly gruesome escape, all to the sounds of the late George Michael’s hit 1987 song, "Father Figure."
Although Atomic Blonde doesn’t arrive in theaters until this July, the film did have its premiere at this year’s SXSW festival back in March. Reactions were positive, with many critics outright raving about both the film and Theron’s cool, tough as nails take on the Lorraine Broughton character. Directed by David Leitch (who is also handling next year’s highly anticipated Deadpool 2), the film also stars Tom Cruise’s co-star in Universal’s upcoming reboot of The Mummy – Sofia Boutella, as well as James McAvoy (Split), John Goodman, Toby Jones (Sherlock) and Bill Skarsgård (Hemlock Grove).
Having initially made a name for himself as a fight and stunt co-ordinator, David Leitch is more than qualified to direct a film like Atomic Blonde. It’s this instinct for fast paced, downright thrilling action, pared so wonderfully with the ice blue filter that Atomic Blonde appears to have been shot in that gives the film such a great feel and look. With the film set in the cold war era during the winter, everything about Atomic Blonde seems to be carefully selected and considered – which is exactly what any truly captivating action film needs. In addition to all that, Theron’s onscreen ferocity is almost palpable – every kick, punch and broken bone adds real intensity to what we’ve seen thus far.
With DC’s Wonder Woman already getting rave reviews, Atomic Blonde could be another step toward making this a very successful summer for female led action films. Of course, there’s plenty of competition at the box office this summer, but based on everything we’ve seen and heard of Atomic Blonde so far, 2017 just might be the year where long time iconic heroes like James Bond and Jason Bourne make way for the tough as nails Lorraine Broughton.
Source: Universal (via YouTube)
