Disney's The Nutcracker and the Four Realms Trailer Is En Pointe: Watch the Beloved Ballet Tease Its "Dark Side"

Misty Copeland, Jayden Fowora-Knight, Mackenzie Foy, Morgan Freeman, Keira Knightley and Helen Mirren star in the movie, set for release on Nov. 2, 2018

By Zach Johnson Dec 19, 2017 1:40 PMTags

Consider this an early holiday present.

The first teaser trailer for The Nutcracker and the Four Realms premiered online Tuesday morning. Directed by Lasse Hallström and inspired by E.T.A. Hoffmann's classic tale from 1816, the movie stars Mackenzie Foy as Clara. All she wants is a one-of-a-kind key that will unlock a box, which holds a priceless gift from her late mother. Her godfather, Drosselmeyer (Morgan Freeman), presents her with a golden thread at her family's annual holiday party, leading Clara to the coveted key—which promptly disappears into a mysterious parallel world. "It's Christmas Eve: A time of mystery, expectations," Drosselmeyer teases. "Who knows what might happen?"

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Indeed. After she crosses over, Clara bumps into a soldier named Phillip (Jayden Fowora-Knight), a gang of mice and the people who preside over three Realms: Land of Flowers, Snowflakes, Land of Snowflakes and Land of Sweets. Clara and Phillip must brave the Fourth Realm, home to the evil Mother Ginger (Helen Mirren), to find her key and restore the peace. But will they be victorious? The trailer ominously warns, "The legend you know has a dark side."

Starring Keira Knightley as the Sugar Plum Fairy and featuring a special performance by Misty Copeland, Walt Disney Studios' The Nutcracker and the Four Realms is in theaters Nov. 2, 2018.

"Pretending to be in these imaginative worlds, it's why I wanted to become an actress," Mirren recently told Entertainment Weekly of her "fierce" character. "It's my dream come true, really."