'Brightburn' Trailer: Superman Meets 'Carrie' In James Gunn's Superhero Horror Movie

What if Superman wasn't good? It's a nightmare dreamt up by plenty of comic book writers, supervillains, and Batman himself, but the new James Gunn-produced horror film plays out that scenario in full. Brightburn imagines a Superman origin story that goes horribly wrong, in which an alien, superpowered young boy decides to use his powers for evil.

From the alien ship crash-landing in front of an unsuspecting couple to the powers of super strength and flight to the red cape, Brightburn plays with some very familiar imagery. The trailer even recalls that of Zack Snyder's Man of Steel: dreamy, sun-washed, vivid — but with a terrifying twist. Those dreams become nightmares as the young boy Brandon (newcomer Jackson A. Dunn) adopts a sinister persona that he uses to kill and torture people.

Cast out by his bullying schoolmates, and even by his adopted father, Brandon's story has shades of Carrie — which follows a supernaturally-gifted teen as she wreaks havoc after being horribly bullied. Brightburn puts forward how easy it would be for a superpowered young boy to adopt a twisted mindset and become the monster instead of the superhero.

Brightburn stars Elizabeth Banks, who reunites with Gunn after the filmmaker directed her in the cult horror film Slither. She's joined by Meredith Hanger, David Denman, Matt Jones, Gregory Alan Williams, Jennifer Holland and more, with a script from Brian and Mark Gunn. David Yarovesky, a frequent Gunn collaborator, directs while Gunn and the The H Collective produce.

Here is the synopsis for Brightburn:

What if a child from another world crash-landed on Earth, but instead of becoming a hero to mankind, he proved to be something far more sinister? With Brightburn, the visionary filmmaker of Guardians of the Galaxy and Slither presents a startling, subversive take on a radical new genre: superhero horror.

BrightBurn hits theaters on May 24, 2019.