Carell creates a magical world in trailer for Zemeckis’ Welcome to Marwen

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

Robert Zemeckis has been fueling our imaginations and moving our hearts for years with movies like BACK TO THE FUTURE and FORREST GUMP, and his new movie WELCOME TO MARWEN is all about the power of our own imaginations. Based on the documentary MARWENCOL, the movie is about a man named Mark Hogancamp (Steve Carell) who was savagely beaten by thugs and lost most of his memory. As a form of therapy, he begins making a small WWII-era town and using dolls as representations of his friends and family. Don’t go expecting this to be a normal biopic, though, as Zemeckis uses mo-cap to add an extra bit of zaniness.

Here is the official plot synopsis:

When a devastating attack shatters Mark Hogancamp (Carell) and wipes away all memories, no one expected recovery.  Putting together pieces from his old and new life, Mark meticulously creates a wondrous town where he can heal and be heroic.  As he builds an astonishing art installation-a testament to the most powerful women he knows-through his fantasy world, he draws strength to triumph in the real one.

In a bold, wondrous and timely film from this revolutionary pioneer of contemporary cinema, Welcome to Marwen shows that when your only weapon is your imagination…you'll find courage in the most unexpected place.

Although I can imagine the dolls may rub a few the wrong way (especially those haunted by the dead eyes of the kids from Zemeckis’ POLAR EXPRESS), the bringing of the dolls to life adds an entertaining element that explores the mind of Hogancamp in a way a traditional biopic wouldn’t. For me that makes this a movie to look out for, if not for the incredible cast. I'm ready to say Oscar-winner Steve Carell as much as anyone else. 

WELCOME TO MARWEN with Steve Carell, Leslie Mann, Merritt Wever, Eiza González, Gwendoline Christie, Janelle Monáe, Leslie Zemeckis, Diane Kruger, and Neil Jackson.hits theaters November 21.