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'Arrival' arrives in theaters again, with bonus footage

After earning eight Oscar nominations, the suspenseful sci-fi story will be rereleased.

Richard Trenholm Former Movie and TV Senior Editor
Richard Trenholm was CNET's film and TV editor, covering the big screen, small screen and streaming. A member of the Film Critic's Circle, he's covered technology and culture from London's tech scene to Europe's refugee camps to the Sundance film festival.
Expertise Films, TV, Movies, Television, Technology
Richard Trenholm
2 min read
Photo Credit: Jan Thijs

"Arrival" is making second contact. Fresh from earning a whopping eight Oscar nominations, the suspenseful sci-fi drama will be rereleased in the US with extra footage.

Although star Amy Adams missed out on an acting nomination, the film is up for Academy Awards for best picture and for director Denis Villeneuve. The screenplay, cinematography, production design, editing and sound are also shortlisted for possible prizes.

Interestingly, the extra footage will be a look behind the scenes rather than an extended cut of the film itself.

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"Arrival" depicts scientists and Adams' linguist character trying to figure out how to talk to mysterious alien newcomers before the world slides into disaster. Unlike many action-oriented, shoot-'em-up sci-fi films, it deals with themes of finding common ground and striving to communicate with those we don't understand, rather than fearing and attacking others. That might sound dry and technical, but the film drew praise for being taut and gripping.

Originally released in November, "Arrival" scores a solid 81 on Metacritic.

In Adams, it also features a smart and capable woman in the lead role. About the film's focus on linguistics, she had this to say last year: "So much of linguistics is very mathematical, which is not in my wheelhouse, but once it became anthropological and sociological I identified with it."

The 89th Academy Awards ceremony will take place February 26. Amazon 's "Manchester By The Sea", "Hidden Figures" and "La La Land" are also up for multiple awards, while genre flicks "Rogue One," "Doctor Strange," "Star Trek Beyond," "Suicide Squad," "Fantastic Beasts" and "Passengers" are in the frame for technical awards.

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