It is really saying something of the modern movie trailer when the director, Rian Johnson, sends out a tweet telling everybody to not watch the trailer for his new movie because it gives some plot elements away that need to be kept a surprise. Whether you’re anti-plot spoiler or don’t give a hoot, that is still a pretty interesting move on the director’s part.

Johnson is one of those directors championed by critics (and rightly so) who is still waiting to crack it with audiences. Brick, his high school noir tale, was good but did actually irk some people with its hardboiled lingo, and hardly anybody saw The Brothers Bloom, despite critics raving. Will sci-fi thriller Looper change all that?

In an article I wrote about Bruce Willis last year, I said something along the lines of “He may surprise us. But don’t be surprised if he doesn’t,” regarding his choice of projects. This year sees four movies: Moonrise Kingdom, G.I. Joe: Retaliation (now moved to n, The Expendables 2 and Looper. Surely a mix of the old and the vaguely new? Nobody expected him in G.I. Joe: Retaliation – as the eponymous Joe himself!

In Looper, Willis and co-star Joseph Gordon-Levitt play the same person in different time periods. There’s a time travel mission and assassination attempts. All sounds, potentially, rather good. Check out the new one-sheet for Looper which shows off a CGI-altered Gordon-Levitt and his older self (played by Willis). Shame the title isn’t a palindrome because the whole mirror effect would have worked a treat.

Looper opens 28th September in both the USA and UK. Watch the debut trailer. Looks ace.

The Posters: