After being announced three years ago, The Legend of Ochi is finally coming to theaters. Yesterday, A24 revealed a trailer was coming and teased it with a poster that underscored the fantasy elements of the movie. Today, the trailer was released, and we can say that the fan-favorite production company is gearing up to put out one of its most different titles. The story is set in a fantasy world inhabited by furry creatures known as Ochi, and in theaters on February 28, 2025.
The Legend of Ochi centers around a young girl who runs away from her home on a gorgeous-looking island and then meets and learns how to communicate with one of the beings from the title. The blueish creatures with Yoda-like ears are feared by the inhabitants of the island, but the girl befriends a younger and more innocent one. The trailer unveils the original and wondrous world created for the adventure and provides a little insight into the possibilities that can come up as we learn more and more about the Ochi, the threat they represent and why the entire community fears them.
According to Deadline, The Legend of Ochi has been described by insiders as having the same feel of Peter Jackson (The Beatles: Get Back) movies before his Lord of the Rings era. Reportedly, A24 executives were so blown away by the screenplay and atmosphere of the adventure that they immediately decided to partner up with first-time directorIsaiah Saxon. The production company has a history of championing independent and new voices, so it isn’t exactly surprising that they jumped at the chance of bringing this story to life and to big screens all over the world.
‘The Legend Of Ochi’ Is A First For the Director
Another indication of The Legend of Ochi‘s potential is that it has managed to attract the attention of several big Hollywood names: the cast features Willem Dafoe (Poor Things), Emily Watson (Midas Man), Helena Zengel (News of the World) and Finn Wolfhard (Stranger Things). The movie was also co-executive produced by the Russo Brothers, who were responsible for the last two Avengers movies and are slated to helm Avengers: Doomsday. In Saxon’s personal website, you can find a slate of concept arts for The Legend of Ochi that he’s been putting together since 2015. One of his captions reads: “I can’t stop dreaming about this movie I want to make.”
Despite being at the helm of a feature film for the first time, Saxon has worked as a director of music videos and short films for a pretty long time. He directed music videos from artists like Björk, Panda Bear and Grizzly Bear. Saxon has also penned the script of The Legend of Ochi, meaning that if the movie indeed becomes a standout, the new filmmaker will quickly be able to tell other stories, build new worlds and intrigue audiences.
The Legend of Ochi is in theaters on February 28, 2025. You can check out the trailer above.
