To promote the release of the upcoming Steve Jobs film in October, Universal released a second official trailer for the film on Thursday. The new trailer is shorter than the first one by 27 seconds, and it paints a much more claustrophobic picture of the tech mogul than the first trailer, which was released on July 1 of this year.
The new trailer begins similarly to the first one, but jump to 0:30, and you’ll see a cinematic technique intended to make viewers feel like the walls are closing in. Black begins zeroing in toward the center from either side while we see flashes of Jobs’ life: standing in front of an audience, home alone, in the office, arguing with his high school girlfriend (the mother of his daughter), talking to coworker Joanna Hoffman (Kate Winslet), and, finally, we see him walking out the door as the the center becomes a flashing white cursor.
While the second trailer appears to be drenched in much more symbolism than the first, there are also some similarities. Several scenes are repeated in both trailers, including the argument with his high school girlfriend and a few shots of him speaking in front of large audiences. What the second trailer truly does is show viewers that Steve Jobs is not simply going to glorify the man. And though it would be relatively easy to attack his family life, demeanor, past behavior, etc., with this trailer, Universal shows that it’s possible to do so artfully.
The cast behind Steve Jobs further solidifies the idea that this won’t be just a film whose success is predicated on gimmicks. Michael Fassbender (Frank, 12 Years a Slave) plays the eponymous man, Kate Winslet (Divergent, The Reader) plays Joanna Hoffman, Seth Rogen (The Interview, This is the End) plays Steve Wozniak, and Katherine Waterston (Inherent Vice, Queen of Earth) plays Chrisann Brennan, Jobs’ high school girlfriend. Steve Jobs will be released October 23 and is directed by Danny Boyle. The film was written by Aaron Sorkin (A Few Good Men, The Social Network) and is based on the book by Walter Isaacson. Watch the new trailer in its entirety below.