John Goodman Holds up in Doomsday Bunker in ’10 Cloverfield Lane’

Sandra Miska

“10 Cloverfield Lane,” a sequel of sorts to the 2008 horror film “Cloverfield,” is finally hitting theaters. Producer J. J. Abrams and director Dan Trachtenberg made the film in almost total secrecy.

For those who haven’t seen the first “Cloverfield,” the film follows a small group of New Yorkers who struggle to survive as a creature the size of the Chrysler Building descends from the skies, wreaking havoc and mayhem. This new film, which is intended to be more of a companion piece than a sequel, goes smaller and takes place in a bunker deep underground.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead stars as Michelle, a woman who wakes up shackled in the bunker following a car crash. The always astounding John Goodman plays Howard, the owner of the above mentioned bunker who has rescued Michelle and is now holding her captive. With Howard and Michelle is Emmett (John Gallagher Jr.) who entered Howard’s doomsday shelter on his own accord. The two work to convince Michelle that a chemical attack has taken place outside and Earth is no longer inhabitable.

Although Michelle initially yearns to escape, she slowly finds herself getting drawn in by the men’s paranoid theories. It’s not long before she wonders if Howard is really a madman or her savior.

“10 Cloverfield Lane” is the feature film debut from Trachtenberg, a protégé of Abrams who is best known as an online personality. He’s also the co-host of the video podcast “GeekDrome.com.” He also directed the Internet show “Ctrl+Alt+Chicken.”

Trachtenberg’s film, which originated from the screenplay “The Cellar” by Josh Campbell and Matt Stuecken, wasn’t intended to be associated with “Cloverfield.” However, during production, the filmmakers noticed similarities between the films and decided to make their movie a “spiritual sequel” to the sci-fi monster horror film.

Catch “10 Cloverfield Lane” at theaters when it opens nationwide March 11.