Cadillac really outdid itself this year with its Super Bowl ad. Showcasing its hands free, all-electric Cadillac LYRIQ, the commercial cleverly plays off the 1990 Tim Burton film Edward Scissorhands starring Johnny Depp. Timothée Chalamet stars as Edward Scissorhands' son, Edgar, alongside Winona Ryder. Chalamet perfectly embodies Edward's son — so much so that Hollywood would be remiss not to cast him for the part in a reboot.
In the original film, Edward's scissor hands became permanent after his creator's death leaves him as an unfinished humanoid. The majority of the film follows Edward's struggle to lead a normal life and find acceptance in his suburban community. Ultimately the movie ends with Edward disappearing, leaving his love interest behind. Thanks to stellar performances and a thought-provoking storyline, Edward Scissorhands became a cult classic due to its themes of conformity and learning to accept differences.
In the original film, there's no indication that Edward and Kim ever had sex, and Kim seemingly had a different family, so the Cadillac commercial imagines a different future for the characters of Edward Scissorhands. The ad follows Edgar through the everyday challenges of coping with his scissor hands, much like his father did. Edgar struggles with everything from riding the bus to attending classes. After Kim sees Edgar using a VR headset to simulate driving a car, she decides to buy him the new Cadillac with hands-free driving capabilities that are perfect for someone with Edgar's condition.
Despite being under two minutes, the Super Bowl ad gave viewers a well-done Edward Scissorhands recreation that left many eager for more. From the hair to the makeup to the slightly updated outfit, Chalamet looks uncannily similar to Depp's Scissorhands. In contrast, Ryder's typical suburban look reminds fans of the powerful theme of conformity from Burton's film.
An Edward Scissorhands 2 with Chalamet reprising his role as Edgar is clearly in order. First, the themes found in Edward Scissorhands — such as accepting differences and self discovery — are needed in films today due to the United States' current divided climate. A continuity of the original presents a platform to bring attention to the discrimination that still exists in the 21st century.
Aside from important issues, an Edward Scissorhands reboot offers the opportunity to imagine what the character would be like in the modern era. Technology has improved since 1990, and dropping Edgar into a world with smartphones, social media, artificial intelligence, etc. would make for a compelling story, and the technological advancements may actually work in his favor. The Super Bowl ad gives us a taste of this as we watch Edward use a VR headset, a cell phone and the self-driving car.
The Super Bowl ad essentially acts as Chalamet's audition for Edgar. The actor should definitely reprise his role in a feature film, as he proves an Edgar Scissorhands movie is sure to be a hit.