Last Updated: February 19, 2021
Chaos Walking is the upcoming movie adaptation of Patrick Ness's book from director Doug Liman; here we round up all the important details about the film's story, cast, release date, trailer and more.
Over the last two decades, Hollywood studios have looked to capitalize on the young adult book genre by adapting popular series to the big screen for blockbuster franchises. Thanks to the success of Harry Potter, Twilight and The Hunger Games, a number of YA titles have been adapted, though some have found more success than others. Still, as the YA book genre continues to expand with new releases every year, Hollywood persists in adapting the more successful and popular titles. One such upcoming adaptation is Chaos Walking. It's a movie that has been stewing for a long time and, although the film wrapped in 2017, the film was bumped from its slated March 2019 release date. After several more release delays, the film finally has a concrete date.
For those looking forward to the Chaos Walking movie, we've assembled all the important details about the upcoming adaptation. From the story and cast to the release date and trailer, here's everything you need to know about Chaos Walking.
Chaos Walking's Cast Is Led By Tom Holland & Daisy Ridley
It was reported in late 2016 that then up-and-coming movie star Tom Holland would lead Chaos Walking, joining the production in the starring role of Todd Hewitt. The actor had made his debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Peter Parker/Spider-Man and was gearing up for more superhero movies to come (he'll be reprising his role as the web-slinging hero in a third Spider-Man film in December 2021). Earlier that year it had been announced that Star Wars actress Daisy Ridley would play Viola Eade, the female lead of Chaos Walking.
The movie also stars Mads Mikkelsen as the villainous David Prentiss, the mayor of Prentisstown where Todd lives at the start of the story; Nick Jonas as the mayor's son Davy; Demián Bichir and Kurt Sutter as Todd's adoptive fathers; David Oyelowo as a "violent priest" in Prentisstown; Cynthia Erivo as an ally of Todd and Viola named Hildy; and Óscar Jaenada as the drifter Wilf.
Chaos Walking's Story Is Based On A 2008 Novel
The story of the Chaos Walking movie is based on the first book in Patrick Ness's Chaos Walking trilogy, The Knife of Never Letting Go, which was released in 2008. The novel was followed up by The Ask and the Answer in 2009 and Monsters of Men in 2010. Ness further expanded the world of Chaos Walking with three short stories, one released in 2009 and with two more following in 2013 that offered additional insight into the series' sci-fi setting and characters.
The Knife of Never Letting Go tells the story of Todd Hewitt, who grew up as the only boy in a colony of men located on the planet New World. The settlers were infected by something called Noise, which killed off the female population and gave the survivors the ability to hear the thoughts of other men and animals through a stream of images, words and sounds. Shortly before Todd comes of age, he suspects something sinister is going on in his town and he ends up fleeing with only his dog as a companion. However, Todd comes across a girl, Viola, whose thoughts he cannot read. Together, the two attempt to evade those from Todd's home colony and work to discover the true history of New World.
Chaos Walking's Release Date Was Delayed - But Why?
Chaos Walking started filming in August 2017, wrapping principal photography just a few months later in November 2017. However, in April 2018 it was reported Chaos Walking would undergo significant reshoots, with the film's release date likely to be delayed. The movie's delayed premiere wouldn't be confirmed until November 2018, when Lionsgate revealed during an earnings call that Chaos Walking wouldn't make its March 2019 release date. Finally, in February 2020, Lionsgate assigned Chaos Walking a new January 22, 2021 release date. But, due to the global pandemic, the film was pushed back yet again and will now be released on March 5, 2021.
As for the reason Chaos Walking's release date was delayed, it was due to the schedules of Holland and Ridley. Both stars were busy on other projects for much of 2018 - Holland on MCU offerings Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: Endgame and Spider-Man Far From Home and Ridley on Star Wars: Episode IX. As a result, the reshoots had to be scheduled for after the actors' schedules were freed up in 2019, delaying the movie's release in the process. And, of course, the pandemic needs no explanation, but as theaters largely remain closed and COVID-19 still ongoing, it's no surprise that Lionsgate delayed the film one final time.
What We Know About Chaos Walking's Reshoots
Little is known about what exactly the Chaos Walking reshoots entailed or which aspects of the film needed to be reworked. The reshoots finally began in April 2019, and continued through May. Filmmaker Fede Alvarez was brought in to assist director Doug Liman, at Liman's request, with the duo joining forces to figure out how best to tackle the new and reworked scenes that needed to be shot. According to reports, Liman's original cut was deemed unfit for release by Lionsgate.
Further, as part of the initial report about the Chaos Walking reshoots, it was also revealed author Patrick Ness was in talks to write the script pages for the sections of the film being reworked. Ness has written for film and TV before, including the big screen adaptation of his book A Monster Calls and the short-lived Doctor Who spinoff Class. Ness joined a list of writers who have worked on the script of the Chaos Walking movie that includes Charlie Kaufman, Lindsey Beers, John Lee Hancock and Gary Spinelli.
Chaos Walking Has Been In Development For Years
The adaptation of Ness's book trilogy was first announced back in 2011, with Lionsgate adapting Chaos Walking for the big screen. The movie was in development for a number of years, though, with Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind writer Charlie Kaufman coming in to pen the script and Back to the Future director Robert Zemeckis circling the project at one time. Although Zemeckis didn't end up signing on to direct Chaos Walking, he is involved as a producer. Little movement was made on the film until 2016, when Liman came on board Chaos Walking.
After Liman was hired to direct Chaos Walking, the film moved forward into the casting process and started filming in 2017, wrapping that same year. Reshoots and post-production further stretched out the process, turning it into a nearly decade-long development and production phase for the film.
Will Lionsgate Turn Chaos Walking Into A Trilogy?
Since Chaos Walking is based on the first book in Ness's book trilogy, fans are no doubt eager to see Lionsgate adapt all three novels. Certainly, Lionsgate is hoping to launch Chaos Walking as a franchise-starter, similar to the studio's Hunger Games movies. However, whether Lionsgate will adapt The Ask and the Answer and Monsters of Men likely depends on whether Chaos Walking is a financial success. The studio is reportedly spending $90-$100 million dollars on the movie, so it will have to earn three times that at the box office before it's considered a success. It's doubtful that the film, given the current status of theaters and the global box office due to the pandemic, will earn as much at the box office. Whether it's successful - and whether Lionsgate green lights the full Chaos Walking trilogy - remains to be seen.
There's Finally A Chaos Walking Trailer
Chaos Walking finally has a trailer! After years of development and release date delays, Lionsgate released the long-awaited trailer for the film in November 2020. The trailer showcases the basic premise of the film, with Holland's character meeting and later teaming up with Ridley's as they set off on an adventure. The Chaos Walking trailer is also packed with a lot of action and a whole lot of running. Check it out below!
