Vertical partnered with Roadside Attractions to debut the official trailer for The Pod Generation, the sci-fi comedy film starring Emilia Clarke and Chiwetel Ejiofor as a couple in futuristic New York taking a wild ride to parenthood by using technology such as detachable, artificial wombs.

Also starring in the film are Rosalie Craig, Vinette Robinson, and Jean-Marc Barr.

Release Date

Directed and written by Sophie Barthes, The Pod Generation world premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival, and opens in theaters with a release date of August 11, 2023.

Synopsis

Set in the very near future world where AI is all the rage and technology has trumped nature in nearly every aspect of life,The Pod Generation follows Rachel (Clarke) and Alvy (Ejiofor), a New York couple who are ready to start a family. As a rising tech company executive, Rachel lands a coveted spot at the Womb Center, which offers couples the opportunity to share pregnancy on a more equal footing by way of mobile, artificial wombs, or pods. Alvy, a botanist and devoted purist about the natural environment, has doubts, but his love for Rachel prompts him to take a leap of faith. And so, begins the wild ride on their tech-paved path to parenthood.

Reviews

In their review, The Hollywood Reporter found the film watchable, writing, “… it’s certainly watchable — made with a great deal of polish in the architecture and design details of Clement Price-Thomas’ sets and shot by Andrij Parekh in the soft tones of a world built to be reassuringly sterile.”

“In her new movie, The Pod Generation, technology is messing with nature again, this time usurping the experience of pregnancy, removing all those bothersome downsides like morning sickness and stretch marks. It’s a provocative premise, fraught with philosophical questions, and the French-born writer-director builds her elaborate concept with skill and coherence. She also has appealing leads in Emilia Clarke and Chiwetel Ejiofor, who find subtle comedy without pushing for it. But coolly intellectualized sci-fi is a tricky subgenre to pull off.”

Official Trailer

Watch the official trailer for The Pod Generation: