Oscar-Winning Filmmaker Chloé Zhao Channels the Darkness in Trailer for Diablo IV

72andSunny’s live-action trailer for Diablo IV opens with a dead horse in the snow, mutilated, it would seem, by some fearsome monster.

The :60 from Academy Award-winning director Chloé Zhao gets a wee bit dark after that.

Blizzard Entertainment drops the highly anticipated game on June 6. From this film, it looks like a pretty intense experience. Fiery destruction and demonic chaos abound. Characters plead for salvation as Lilith—the title’s winged villain—goes on a rampage.

Gee, that looks like … fun? Sure, there are hints of powerful heroes fighting back against the forces of evil. But still, when you plop a dead animal in the first frame, it makes us want to chill with something where the wildlife survives.

Of course, Diablo’s a famously freaky, violent game. So, the imagery stays true to form, and should entice fans to check out the update. As if they need any inducement.

“Bringing to life one of gaming’s darkest and most revered franchises is both a huge responsibility to the fans and a once in a lifetime experience. I mean, when are you going to get to recreate a blood-soaked, demon-riddled hellscape with an Oscar-winning director again?” says 72andSunny group creative director Tim Wolfe.

Zhao adds: “Diablo fans are very passionate, and many have been with the game for over two decades. We want to do right by the fans, honor the game’s rich lore and visceral world building while evoking the strong emotions the players feel while immersing in the game.” 

Hype around this launch has been impressive. Earlier work cast the game’s Doomsayers as household help, and the brand memorably painted huge character images across a French cathedral ceiling.

CREDITS

Client: Blizzard Entertainment
Agency: 72andsunny
Film production: Superprime
Director: Chloé Zhao
Co-director: Kiku Ohe
Editorial: Work Editorial
Color: Company 3
VFX/Post production: The Mill
Sound design: LIME
Mix: LIME
Music composition: Walker