TURTLES ALL THE WAY DOWN Trailer (2024) Isabela Merced

TURTLES ALL THE WAY DOWN Trailer (2024) Isabela Merced

TURTLES ALL THE WAY DOWN Trailer (2024) Isabela Merced
© 2024 - Max

"Imagine being stuck in my head all the time, with no break, no way out!" New Line Cinema & Temple Hill have unveiled an official trailer for a new movie titled Turtles All the Way Down, a romantic comedy coming-of-age film from filmmaker Hannah Marks (also of After Everything and Mark Mary & Some Other People previously). This is unfortunately skipping theaters and being sent direct-to-streaming on Max this May - though it looks worthy enough for theaters. "Your now is not your forever." Based on the best-selling novel by John Green. Turtles All the Way Down tackles anxiety following its 17-year-old protagonist – Aza Holmes. A story of shattering, unflinching clarity in this brilliant story of love, resilience, and the power of lifelong friendship. Isabela Merced stars as Aza, who is riddled with crushing anxiety all the time; she's joined by Cree, Felix Mallard, Maliq Johnson, Poorna Jagannathan, Judy Reyes, and J. Smith-Cameron. This doesn't look that bad, but it does seem like a Valentine's Day movie and they missed that opening by a few months. Sweet and charming and honest – a good story for people to feel better watching.

Here's the official trailer (+ poster) for Hannah Marks' Turtles All the Way Down, direct from YouTube:

Turtles All the Way Down Poster

Turtles All the Way Down Poster

Hannah Marks' new film Turtles All the Way Down tackles anxiety through its 17-year-old protagonist, Aza Holmes (Isabela Merced). It's not easy being Aza, but she’s trying… trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, and a good student, all while navigating an endless barrage of invasive, obsessive thoughts she cannot control. When she reconnects with Davis (Felix Mallard), her childhood crush, she's confronted with fundamental questions about her potential for love, happiness, friendship, and hope. Turtles All the Way Down is directed by the American actress / filmmaker Hannah Marks, director of the films After Everything, Mark Mary & Some Other People, and Don't Make Me Go previously, as well as a few short films. The screenplay is co-written by Elizabeth Berger & Isaac Aptaker; based on John Green's bestselling novel of the same name. Produced by Marty Bowen and Isaac Klausner. New Line Cinema will debut Turtles All the Way Down streaming directly on Max starting on May 2nd, 2024 coming soon. Who's interested?

Get ready for a journey of mystery, romance, and angst with Turtles All the Way Down premiering on May 2.
Follow Aza's battle with anxiety and OCD as she navigates her relationships and finds a kindred spirit in Davis.
The power of a strong support system is highlighted in this adaptation of John Green's deeply personal novel.
The sixth adaptation of John Green's novels is officially only a month away. Turtles All the Way Down is set to premiere on Max on May 2 and a new trailer offers a preview of Isabela Merced's journey of mystery, romance, and plenty of angst. Hailing from director Hannah Marks, the young adult film tackles anxiety through the eyes of Aza Holmes as she navigates the many invasive thoughts that she can't control. New Line Cinema and Temple Hill collaborated for the adaptation of the novel, which Green has described as deeply personal to his experiences growing up.

Turtles All the Way Down follows Merced as the 17-year-old Aza, who's just trying to get by in life and be a good student, friend, and daughter while battling obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety. Following news of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett's disappearance, Aza and her best friend Daisy (Cree) go on the hunt to find him and claim the reward money for turning him in to authorities. She's only left with further questions about her future happiness, love, friendship, and hope, however, upon rekindling things with her childhood crush and friend Davis (Felix Mallard), who just so happens to be Russell's son.

The trailer promises an exploration of Aza's relationships and life while dealing with the hurdles anxiety and OCD leave for her. Her thought spirals about microbes, her appearance, and life itself are vividly shown as she walks through the school halls, talks with Daisy, and goes on dates with Davis. She fears there's no possibility of having a fulfilling romantic relationship while suffering from anxiety, though, with some encouragement from her friends and counselors, she takes the plunge with Davis and finds in him a kindred spirit. Even with her new boyfriend supporting her, anxiety will remain a constant battle for Aza, pushing her to a breaking point and even nearly killing her. Turtles All the Way Down will show the power of a strong support system, living by the motto, "It's not only what you live with, it's who you can't live without."

Who Else Stars in 'Turtles All the Way Down'?
Isabela Merced and Cree on the poster for Max's Turtles All the Way DownImage via Max
In addition to directing, Marks will also appear in the adaptation as Holly. Marks is no stranger to helming heartfelt dramas, previously delivering the Jeremy Allen White and Maika Monroe-led After Everything and Don't Make Me Go with John Cho and Mia Isaac. The rest of the cast around her, Merced, Cree, and Mallard includes Judy Reyes, Maliq Johnson, J. Smith-Cameron, and Poorna Jagannathan. Writing duties, meanwhile, will be handled by This Is Us showrunners Elizabeth Berger and Isaac Aptaker, who also serve as executive producers.

Turtles All the Way Down debuts on Max on May 2. Check out the trailer below.

Isabela Merced and Cree on the poster for Max's Turtles All the Way Down
Turtles All The Way Down
PG-13
Drama
Romance
A teenager tries to solve a mystery surrounding a fugitive billionaire.

Director
Hannah Marks
Cast
Isabela Merced , J. Smith-Cameron , Judy Reyes , Hannah Marks
Main Genre
Drama
Writers
Elizabeth Berger , Isaac Aptaker , John Green

Max said Wednesday that its adaptation of John Green‘s bestseller Turtles All the Way Down, from director Hannah Marks (Don’t Make Me Go), has been slated for release on Thursday, May 2.

Check out a trailer above.

Hailing from New Line Cinema and Temple Hill, Turtles All the Way Down tackles anxiety through its 17-year-old protagonist, Aza Holmes (Isabela Merced). It’s not easy being Aza, but she’s trying … trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, and a good student, all while navigating an endless barrage of invasive, obsessive thoughts that she cannot control. When she reconnects with Davis (Felix Mallard), her childhood crush, Aza is confronted with fundamental questions about her potential for love, happiness, friendship and hope.

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Also starring Maliq Johnson, Cree, Poorna Jagannathan, Judy Reyes and J. Smith-Cameron, the film was written by the This Is Us duo of Elizabeth Berger and Isaac Aptaker, who also exec produced alongside Richard Brener, Nikki Ramey and Paulina Sussman for New Line Cinema, as well as Laura Quicksilver, Bart Lipton, Green and Rosianna Halse Rojas. Pic’s producers are Wyck Godfrey, Marty Bowen and Isaac Klausner.

Green is otherwise best known for his 2012 romantic drama The Fault in Our Stars, centered on a meet-cute of cancer patients, which was adapted into a 20th Century Fox film starring Shailene Woodley, Ansel Elgort, and Nat Wolff. Directed by Josh Boone, the pic grossed over $307 million worldwide. Previously, the author also saw his book Paper Towns adapted into a Fox romance starring Wolff and Cara Delevingne, with Hulu adapting his book Looking for Alaska as a miniseries led by Charlie Plummer and Kristine Froseth.

Marks, as Deadline first reported, recently was tapped to direct the crypto heist pic Razzlekhan, inspired by a 2022 article in the New York Times, for Amazon MGM Studios. She peviously directed John Cho and Mia Isaac in the father-daughter drama Don’t Make Me Go for Prime Video, which premiered at the Tribeca Festival. Other past features from the actor-turned-filmmaker include the Tribeca prizewinner Mark, Mary & Some Other People and After Everything, starring Jeremy Allen White.

Previously, she co-wrote and starred in the indie comedy Banana Split featuring Liana Liberato and Dylan Sprouse.

The Turtles All the Way Down trailer captures Aza's anxiety struggles and budding romance well.
The adaptation seemingly maintains the frenetic energy and humanity of the original novel by John Green.
The film is the latest adaptation of one of Green's novels, coming after The Fault in Our Stars, Paper Towns, and Looking for Alaska.
The trailer for Turtles All the Way Down shows a look at the upcoming film about a teenage girl struggling with anxiety. Turtles All the Way Down is a bestselling John Green novel published in 2017, which tells the story of a 16-year-old named Aza Holmes who is struggling with OCD and anxiety. The adaptation stars Madame Web’s Isabela Merced, Succession’s J. Smith-Cameron and Judy Reyes, Hannah Marks, and Never Have I Ever’s Poorna Jagannathan.

Now, Max has released the trailer for Turtles All the Way Down. Check it out below:

From the very beginning of the trailer, Aza is established as someone who is apt to spiral out, as she is first introduced in a mental spiral relating to how the human body is composed of “a massive collection of parasitic organisms ready to cause infection.” Throughout the Turtles All the Way Down trailer, Aza works on navigating challenges with school and her brain, and a budding romance with an old friend named Davis.

How Will Turtles All the Way Down Compare To Other John Green Adaptations?
Hazel lying in bed and talking on the phone in The Fault In Our Stars
The Turtles All the Way Down trailer does a remarkable job capturing the frenetic energy that made the book great. Immersing the reader in the mind of Aza, Green’s Turtles All the Way Down is unrelenting in its portrait of anxiety and yet utterly human. From the trailer, it seems that aspect of the book has translated well to the screen. The relationship between Aza and her best friend Daisy is endearing, as Daisy helps Aza along through a tough period.

Turtles All the Way Down comes after a long line of Green adaptations. The first of these came in 2014 with the adaptation of Green’s beloved novel The Fault in Our Stars. That was a critical and commercial success, holding an 81% on Rotten Tomatoes and bringing in $307.1 million at the box office against an estimated $12 million budget. Green later saw his novels Paper Towns and Looking for Alaska get a movie and TV adaptation, respectively.

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Neither the screen version of Paper Towns nor Looking for Alaska has been able to make the same kind of splash that The Fault in Our Stars managed to back in 2014. This fact leaves Turtles All the Way Down in an interesting spot, as it can either match The Fault in Our Stars’ greatness or sink down to the more mixed reception of the other two adaptations. The film has the advantage of adapting what is arguably Green’s best and most sincere novel to date, and with a promising trailer, there is hope for Turtles All the Way Down.

Max has released the official trailer for its upcoming film adaptation of John Green‘s 2017 coming-of-age novel titled Turtles All the Way Down.

The video introduces Isabela Merced as a teenager suffering from extreme social anxiety which prevents her from experiencing life. It is scheduled to start streaming on May 2, 2024 on Max.

Check out the Turtles All the Way Down trailer below (watch more trailers):

What is Turtles All the Way Down about?
“The film follows the story of 17-year-old protagonist, Aza Holmes (Isabela Merced). It’s not easy being Aza, but she’s trying … trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, and a good student, all while navigating an endless barrage of invasive, obsessive thoughts that she cannot control. When she reconnects with Davis (Felix Mallard), her childhood crush, Aza is confronted with fundamental questions about her potential for love, happiness, friendship and hope,” reads the synopsis.

The Turtles All the Way Down is directed by Hannah Marks from a screenplay co-written by Love, Simon scribes Elizabeth Berger and Isaac Aptaker. The film also stars Cree, Felix Mallard, Maliq Johnson, Poorna Jagannathan, Judy Reyes, J. Smith-Cameron and more. It is executive produced by Green, Richard Brener, Bart Lipton, Laura Quicksilver and Rosianna Halse Rojas.

This marks Merced’s second time starring in a movie based on a Green’s novel, after previously appearing in 2019’s Let It Snow. She is currently in production for James Gunn’s Superman, in which she’ll start as the DCU’s Hawkgirl. Merced will also next be seen playing the role of Dina in HBO’s The Last of Us Season 2.
Beloved YA author John Green returns with a movie adaptation of his best-selling novel Turtles All the Way Down. Based on Green’s beautifully heart-wrenching story that navigates complicated teenage experiences, the film follows Aza Holmes (Isabela Merced), a 17-year-old high schooler who’s struggling with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and anxiety. For as long as she’s lived, Aza’s invasive thoughts have become the backbone of her existence, sending her into downward spirals akin to “turtles all the way down”: and endless continuation of complete regression.

But with the help of her best friend Daisy (Cree Cicchino). With a penchant for adventure, Daisy’s outgoing personality helps Aza break out of her shell bit by bit. As Aza’s long-lost crush Davis (Felix Mallard) suddenly reappears in town, she starts to question whether there’s room for hope amid the chaos of her life. Although the original novel itself is fiction, Green has shared that the story is based on the author’s personal accounts of grappling with mental illness. A coming-of-age tale exploring love, happiness, friendship, and hope, Turtles All the Way Down promises to deliver both laughter and tears to both loyal fans of Green’s works and new audiences who have yet to read his books.

Without further ado, check out everything we know so far about Turtles All the Way Down.

Isabela Merced and Cree on the poster for Max's Turtles All the Way Down
Turtles All The Way Down
PG-13
Drama
Romance
A teenager tries to solve a mystery surrounding a fugitive billionaire.

Director
Hannah Marks
Cast
Isabela Merced , J. Smith-Cameron , Judy Reyes , Hannah Marks
Main Genre
Drama
Writers
Elizabeth Berger , Isaac Aptaker , John Green
When Is the Release Date for 'Turtles All the Way Down'?
Turtles All the Way Down is set to premiere on May 2, 2024, exclusively on Max.

If you haven’t subscribed to Max yet, the streaming platform gives you the choice between monthly or yearly payment options. The With Ads plan costs $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year. For those who prefer an ad-free viewing experience, there’s the Ad-Free plan, priced at $15.99 per month or $149.99 per year. For an even more enhanced ad-free experience, you can opt for the Ultimate Ad-Free plan, which costs $19.99 per month or $199.99 per year. These prices exclude applicable taxes.

Watch the Trailer for 'Turtles All the Way Down'
It’s tough being Aza. Unlike most of her peers, high school is a different experience for the 17-year-old. As the trailer shows, walking through the corridors alone already feels like an overwhelming task. Although Aza looks calm and collected on the outside, her mind’s constantly going at the speed of light, questioning the massive amount of parasitic organisms contained in her body, ready to cause an infection anytime soon. Her struggles with OCD and anxiety hinder Aza from living a “normal” life, but according to her best friend Daisy and her counselor, nothing can stop her from fulfilling her dreams: one of them being having romantic relationships.

As Aza’s old childhood crush, Davis tries to reconnect with her, Aza finds herself reluctant to be romantically attached, fearing that Davis might be repulsed by her condition. However, with Daisy’s encouragement, she breaks out of her shell and takes a chance on him. But as is often the case with mental health journeys, progress is never linear. Despite the support of her loved ones, Aza continues to wrestle with her inner demons, culminating in a car crash that almost takes her life. Turtles All the Way Down isn’t a sad story. It’s filled with hope despite it being far out of reach. Although life can get dark along the way, at the end of the day, there’s light at the end of the tunnel.

Who Stars in 'Turtles All the Way Down'?
Turtles All the Way Down stars Isabela Merced as Aza Holmes, a high school teenager who suffers from anxiety and OCD. In the novel, Aza is always in fear of the parasites taking over her body and causing bacterial infections. Although she comes across as socially awkward due to her condition, her best friend helps Aza feel safe despite her uncontrollable thoughts. Most recently, Merced played Anya Corazón / Araña in Marvel’s Madame Web. She’s also set to star in a recurring role as Dina in Season 2 of The Last of Us, and she'll be playing Hawkgirl in James Gunn's Superman.

Playing Aza’s best friend, Daisy Ramirez is Cree Cicchino, the bubbly and more outgoing counterpart to Aza’s nervousness. Daisy is obsessed with true love and wants Daisy to experience it for herself. When she’s not busy hanging out with Aza, she can be found fangirling over Star Wars. Cicchino stars as Luisa Torres in And Just Like That… and played the main role of Marisol Fuentes in Mr. Iglesias. Another one of Aza’s friends is Mychal Turner, played by Maliq Johnson. A talented art student, Turner was Daisy’s boyfriend for a brief period. Johnson played Kevin in The Many Saints of Newark and Jayson Jackson in Grand Army.

Felix Mallard joins the cast as Davis Pickett, Aza’s childhood crush and recent love interest. Coming from a wealthy family, not everything is riches and gold for Davis. As a young boy, his mother died, followed by his father’s sudden disappearance. Mallad is no stranger to young adult movies and television. Mallard starred as Roamer in All the Bright Places, followed by his roles as Lucas Caravaggio in Locke & Key and Marcus Baker in Ginny & Georgia.

Rounding out the cast is Poorna Jagannathan as Dr. Singh, Judy Reyes as Gina Holmes, and J. Smith-Cameron as Professor Abbott. Jagannathan is best known for playing Safar Khan in HBO’s The Night Of and Nalini Vishwakumar in Netflix’s Never Have I Ever. Reyes gained prominence for her role as Carla Espinosa on the NBC/ABC medical series Scrubs and most recently starred in the horror flick Smile. Smith-Cameron gained headlines for her solid portrayal of Gerri Kilman in HBO’s Succession, earning her two Primetime Emmy Award nominations.

What Is 'Turtles All the Way Down' About?
Isabela Merced and Felix Mallard, kissing in a room as Aza Holmes and Davis Pickett, in Turtles All The Way DownImage via Max
Check out the official synopsis for Turtles All the Way Down from MAX:

“TURTLES ALL THE WAY DOWN tackles anxiety through its 17-year-old protagonist, Aza Holmes (Isabela Merced). It’s not easy being Aza, but she’s trying... trying to be a good daughter, a good friend, and a good student, all while navigating an endless barrage of invasive, obsessive thoughts that she cannot control. When she reconnects with Davis, her childhood crush, Aza is confronted with fundamental questions about her potential for love, happiness, friendship, and hope.”

Who Is Making 'Turtles All the Way Down'?
Isabela Merced and Cree as Aza and Daisy paddling down the White River in a green canoe in Turtles All the Way Down.Image via Max
Green is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of some of this generation’s most popular books. Since publishing his first novel, “Looking for Alaska” in 2005, Green further paved his writing path with notable works like “An Abundance of Katherines”, “Paper Towns”, “The Fault in Our Stars”, and “Turtles All the Way Down”. Over the years, especially during the golden era of Tumblr, Green’s books and the author himself garnered worldwide popularity. So far, 24 million copies of his books have sold in print and have been published in more than 55 languages. Besides his writing endeavors, Green and his brother Hank post videos on their educational YouTube channel, Crash Course.

Turtles All the Way Down is directed by Hannah Marks. In addition to her acting portfolio, Marks has made her mark in the directing scene with films like After Everything and Don’t Make Me Go. Joining her are executive producers Elizabeth Berger and Isaac Aptaker, who also serve as the film’s screenplay writers. The duo’s previous writing credits include Love, Simon and This Is Us. Completing the team are Wyck Godfrey, Marty Bowen, and Isaac Klausner as producers. Turtles All the Way Down is produced by New Line Cinema and Temple Hill, with Richard Brener, Nikki Ramey, and Paulina Sussman executive producing on behalf of the former, and Laura Quicksilver, Bart Lipton, Green, and Rosianna Halse Rojas joining as executive producers.