The first Criminal Minds reboot trailer has officially arrived. After ending its 15-season run on CBS in 2020, the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit (BAU), which uses psychology and profiling to track down serial criminals, is now headed to streaming with a reboot on Paramount+. Officially titled Criminal Minds: Evolution, the project will see the core cast reprise their roles for a brand-new mission, although Daniel Henney's Matt Simmons and Matthew Gray Gubler's Doctor Spencer Reid will be sitting out this upcoming case.
While it's technically a continuation of CBS' version of the show, Criminal Minds: Evolution will feature some changes, including having a different format. Instead of tackling a case per episode, the BAU will devote the whole season to hunting down a single UnSub. In the Criminal Minds reboot, the profilers reconvene to take down a network of serial criminals instituted at the height of the pandemic. Zach Gilford will play Elias Volt, who is believed to be the ringleader of the UnSubs.
As the Criminal Minds revival nears its release date on Thursday, November 24, Paramount+ releases the first trailer for the project. Clocking in at two minutes, the clip previews how the BAU gets back together and how they approach their new case. The video's narration effectively sets up the premise for Criminal Minds: Evolution, which seems darker and more twisted than anything that the team has ever handled before.
The Criminal Minds Reboot Will Have To Reunite A Scattered BAU
Paramount+ didn't skimp on the details about what to expect from the Criminal Minds revival. That includes the fact that the BAU needs to reunite for this case. While the show ended with the team still intact, except for Penelope Garcia who changed jobs, the upcoming project will pick up with the squad all scattered. That's also the reason why Dave Rossi appears to be spearheading this mission instead of Emily Prentiss, who was BAU's last chief before Criminal Minds ended its run on CBS. This will be an interesting turn of events, since Rossi has long been adamant about not wanting to head the specialized unit, even though he is one of its founders. For what it's worth, it seems like this case has personal ties to him as he gets really invested in taking down this network of UnSubs.
Despite featuring the same core characters, there are already noticeable differences between the Criminal Minds reboot and the original show. For starters, Evolution has more creative visuals, which help establish the case and the profilers' attempt at solving it. The revival also feels more intense — something that Joe Mantegna previously talked about. There wasn't any mention of Reid or Simmons in the trailer, but it's safe to say that the show will feature references to them. In the meantime, the focus of the marketing is getting the BAU back together and establishing Volt as a worthy adversary to them.
Source: Paramount+