'Knock at the Cabin' reveals a deadly choice in apocalyptic new trailer for Shyamalan thriller

Happy Holidays and make sure to keep those doors locked in case any unwanted guests turn up with apocalyptic tidings! Universal Pictures delivered an eleventh hour Christmas gift with a brand-new trailer for M. Night Shyamalan's new thriller: Knock at the Cabin.

The latest batch of footage makes quite the compelling argument for the imposing Lenoard (Dave Bautista) and his band of dead-eyed home invaders (Rupert Grint, Nikki Amuka-Bird, and Abby Quinn), who claim the world will end if a captive family of three (Jonathan Groff, Ben Aldridge, and newcomer Kristen Cui) doesn't sacrifice one of their own. And yes, that is the mysterious choice we first heard about in the teaser that dropped online several months back. Every refusal purportedly results in a devastating event — tsunamis, falling airplanes, you name it — capable of killing thousands, and Leonard's got the hard audio-visual proof to back it up.

"I’ve never worked so hard on a film," Shyamalan wrote on Twitter. "Crew and cast gave their all and made something extra special."

Watch the trailer now:

Was Spock right? Do the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few? Perhaps, but it's also possible Leonard and his friends are completely out of their minds and fabricated everything with VFX and other trickery.

Our heroes don't take the choice presented before them lightly. The idea of murdering a loved one is an unthinkable act, prompting them to try and find a means of escape before giving in to the strangers keeping them hostage in a remote forest cabin. Even then, it seems as though a rift of belief begins to separate Andrew (Groff) and Eric (Aldridge) as the story moves along.

"It's one of our primary fears, because our home — or a proxy of our home — is a place where we feel very safe," Shyamalan remarked last month during an interview for Empire's January 2023 issue. "When we get that knock at the door, our fears make us think, 'Wait a minute, this is all a facade. Anyone can come in here and do whatever they want."

Shyamalan — who shares screenplay credit with Steve Desmond and Michael Sherman — produced the feature alongside Marc Bienstock (Old) and Ashwin Rajan (Wayward Pines). Steven Schneider (Paranormal Activity), Christos V. Konstantakopoulos (The Lobster), and Ashley Fox (Promising Young Woman) serve as executive producers.

Based on Paul Tremblay's award-winning 2018 novel — The Cabin at the End of the World — Knock at the Cabin arrives on the big screen Friday, Feb. 3. It is only the second movie in Shyamalan's oeuvre to receive an R-rating since 2008's The Happening.

In the mood for more high-concept horror? Jordan Peele's Nope is now streaming on Peacock.