The first trailer for the A.A. Milne biopic, Goodbye Christopher Robin, has arrived. A prolific author, best known for creating Winnie-the Pooh and his friends, not too much is known about Milne's private life, other than the fact that his son, Christopher, and his teddy bears were the inspiration behind Milne's stories set in the Hundred Acre Wood.
Goodbye Christopher Robin is set to give a closer look at the relationship between Milne and his son, and the effect that the success of Winnie-the Pooh had on him and his family. Domhnall Gleeson stars as Milne, opposite Margot Robbie as his wife, Daphne. The cast is rounded out with Kelly Macdonald, Stephen Campbell Moore, Alex Lawther, Richard McCabe, Nico Mirallegro, Geraldine Somerville and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, while Will Tilston plays the young Christopher Robin. The first trailer for the movie can be viewed above.
Goodbye Christopher Robin is hotly tipped for awards season contention, and it's easy to see why. The powerful, heartwarming drama focuses on the way in which Milne's cute creations took over the life of his whole family, and the way it affected his relationship with his son. Though Milne was a prolific and very talented writer, he became known only as the man who created Pooh Bear, and he struggled with the lack of recognition he received for his other work.
This initial trailer is truly heartwarming, though there is a hint of the conflict and upset to come. Initially, Milne's project might have seemed like fun, but that soon changed as Winnie-the-Pooh's story found its way into the hearts of a nation. Many will recognize certain scenes in the trailer as moments that then cropped up in Milne's writings, such as when he and his son play Pooh Sticks on a bridge in their local wood. It is this real setting- Ashdown Forest in the U.K., that inspired Milne to create the Hundred Acre Wood. We also see all of Christopher Robin's toys, including Piglet, but his favorite is certainly Winnie-the-Pooh.
A previously released poster gave a strong sense of nostalgia; seamlessly blending the magical Hundred Acre Wood with a London skyline, and that seems to be in keeping with the emotive tone of the movie. Set in post- WWI era England, Milne's stories bring comfort and escape to many, but it also means the world's eyes are upon Christopher Robin, and that's sure to cause some conflict.
Goodbye Christopher Robin is directed by Simon Curtis (My Week With Marilyn), with a screenplay from Frank Cottrell Boyce and Simon Vaughn. Hopefully the arrival of this initial trailer will put an end to confusion between this movie and Disney's Christopher Robin live-action movie currently in development. Goodbye Christopher Robin is certainly its own movie, and a unique one at that. Expect to see the buzz surrounding it growing rapidly as its release date - and awards season - approaches.
Source: Fox Searchlight Pictures
