'Morgan' Trailer: Scientists Play God, With Predictably Horrifying Results

Anya Taylor-Joy came seemingly out of nowhere to wow audiences in The Witch earlier this year. It was the kind of star-making performance that had us dying to see where she'd end up next, and luckily we haven't had to wait too long for an answer. Taylor-Joy will be seen this fall in Morgan, a sci-fi thriller that marks the directorial debut of Luke Scott (son of Ridley Scott, who gets a producer credit).

As in The Witch, she plays a young woman that arouses fear and suspicion in others. Unlike in The Witch, her character in Morgan seems to know exactly what she's doing. Taylor-Joy is Morgan, an artificial being created in a lab. Kate Mara stars as a corporate consultant sent to investigate a terrifying incident involving Morgan. The impressive cast also includes Toby Jones, Rose Leslie, Boyd Holbrook, Michelle Yeoh, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Paul Giamatti. Watch the first Morgan trailer below. 

In an earlier interview, Scott explained the themes of Morgan. "What Morgan really alludes to is human beings becoming, in a sense, the creator," he said. "Not in a traditional religious sense, but an idea that we have the capabilities to become our own creator. And what I suspect could happen — we've seen it in all these movies, whether it's Frankenstein or Metropolis — it's the creation of a being that is greater than the creator."

The Morgan trailer is definitely reminiscent of Ex Machina, with a bit of Splice mixed in. Both of those were a little smarter and more thought-provoking than your average horror movie, and hopefully Morgan will be too. The video above mostly focuses on the action — Morgan attacking, Morgan stalking, Morgan using her magical powers to shove Paul Giamatti across the room. But you may recall that Ex Machina's trailers played up those angles, too, only for the film itself to be revealed as a quieter, more cerebral piece only occasionally punctured by violence. The script by Seth W. Owen landed on the 2014 Black List of the best unproduced screenplays, so that's a promising start.

Morgan arrives in theaters September 2.

A corporate troubleshooter (Kate Mara) is sent to a remote, top-secret location, where she is to investigate and evaluate a terrifying accident. She learns the event was triggered by a seemingly innocent "human," who presents a mystery of both infinite promise and incalculable danger.