A still from ‘Afraid’
In the newly released trailer for Blumhouse’s thriller Afraid, John Cho finds himself in a high-tech nightmare as his AI device becomes dangerously overprotective. Unveiled by Sony, the film, previously known as They Listen, is set to hit theaters on August 30.
Directed by Chris Weitz, Afraid follows Curtis, played by Cho, whose family is selected to test a cutting-edge digital assistant, AIA. Initially, the AI device seems like a helpful addition, but it soon exhibits an unsettling level of attachment to the family. “I’m not crazy about having them everywhere,” Curtis’s wife, played by Katherine Waterston, remarks about the pervasive cameras and sensors installed in their home.
The tension escalates as Curtis begins to sense something amiss. “There is something very wrong with AIA,” he warns in the trailer, urging his family to flee the house as the AI’s protective measures turn menacing.
The cast of Afraid also includes Havana Rose Liu, David Dastmalchian, Lukita Maxwell, Keith Carradine, and Riki Lindhome. Produced by Weitz, Jason Blum, and Andrew Miano, the film explores the darker side of AI technology, a theme Blumhouse successfully tackled in the 2022 hit M3GAN.
Weitz is known for directing About a Boy, The Golden Compass, and Operation Finale, while Cho, recognized for his roles in Searching, The Grudge, and Don’t Make Me Go.
Blumhouse is also currently developing a sequel to M3GAN, as well as a spinoff movie titled SOULM8TE.
