Between its stellar cast and soaring production values – not to mention the spirited Marvel hype train – it is easy to see why Eternals is one of the most anticipated films of late 2021.
The pandemic has made keeping track of film release schedules somewhat of a mercurial endeavour.
Despite Google suggesting Eternals will hit cinemas in the UAE this Thursday, fans will have to wait a little longer than that before they get their next Marvel fix.
Here is everything you need to know about Eternals ahead of its UAE release:
When is ‘Eternals’ coming out in the UAE?
On the heels of Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which became the first pandemic-era film to cross the $400 million global box office mark, Eternals will be coming out across UAE cinemas on Thursday, November 11.
The film can already be spotted on local cinemas’ coming-soon lists, with tickets expected to go up for early sale sometime next week.
What is 'Eternals' about?
Eternals is named after and tells the story of a group of immortal beings, who have secretly lived on Earth for seven millennia, as they reunite to protect the planet against the Deviants, their evil counterparts.
The film takes place in the aftermath of Avengers: Endgame, when half of the world’s population, snapped into nonbeing by Thanos and the Infinity Gauntlet, return to existence.
Who stars in 'Eternals'?
Perhaps the most alluring aspect of Eternals is the film’s cast.
The Chloe Zhao-directed film brings together a dream team of A-listers, from Salma Hayek and Angelina Jolie to Game of Thrones’ Richard Madden and Kit Harington.
The film’s starry cast includes Crazy Rich Asians star Gemma Chan, Train to Busan actor Don Lee, comedian and The Big Sick actor Kumail Nanjiani, Atlanta star Brian Tyree Henry, Sound of Metal actor Lauren Ridloff, American Animals actor Barry Keoghan, The Lodge actor Lia McHugh, Four Weddings and a Funeral (miniseries) actor Harish Patel and even One Direction’s Harry Styles.
What are early reviews saying?
The Marvel Studios film had its world premiere in Los Angeles in October, and though it still has a few days to go before being released in the US, early reviews have started trickling in.
They’re not great.
Eternals is projected to become the first Marvel Studios film to receive a below 60 per cent score on the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes. The film currently has a critics' score of 58, designating it as "Rotten" and effectively ending Marvel Studios' 25-film "Fresh" streak.
While the first tide of reviews from those who attended the world premiere were favourable, negative comments have begun piling up, with critics slamming the film’s “dull and predictable” storyline, saying it had “too many characters” and “too little plot”.
Rotten Tomatoes' critics' consensus reads: “An ambitious superhero epic that soars as often as it strains, Eternals takes the MCU in intriguing – and occasionally confounding – new directions.”
However, there are plenty of positive remarks as well, particularly where the film’s visuals are concerned, with one critic writing that Eternals is the “single most unique and visually stunning Marvel movie ever”.
