Netflix has released the first trailer for the Naomi Watts and Andrew Lincoln-starring family drama Penguin Bloom, Lincoln’s first post-Walking Dead role. In the Glendyn Ivin-directed film inspired by New York Times bestselling author Bradley Trevor Greive’s book of the same name, Sam Bloom (Watts) is a young mother left unable to walk after a near-fatal accident. Along with her photographer husband Cameron (Lincoln), Sam learns to adapt to her new life as the Bloom family finds inspiration in an injured magpie named Penguin. Lincoln officially joined the film in July 2019, months after ending his tenure as Rick Grimes on The Walking Dead.
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“Overnight, his relationship, the love of his life — they’re soulmates these two, they met when they were kids — and he changed into principal carer, and I thought that was a magnificent story to tell that I hadn’t seen before on film,” Lincoln told TheWrap about his role as Cameron Bloom, whose photography appears throughout Greives’ book. “And just to do justice to their relationship that they were soulmates was my job really, to support this wonderful leading lady and these rather wild kids.”
Added Watts, also a producer on Penguin Bloom, the Academy Award-nominated actress had a “powerful connection” with Sam Bloom.
“It was great that she was so generous, and another reason why this story does speak to the generosity of their relationship, of their children, and it was always the absolute center of what we wanted to do, treat it in the most caring, responsible way,” Watts said.
For Lincoln, a real-life father of two, he steps into the role of a supportive husband and full-time dad to the three Bloom boys.
“I asked [Cameron Bloom] lots of crazy questions that I thought would be insightful and try and get inside him,” Lincoln said during the virtual 2020 Toronto International Film Festival. “And one of the most revealing things was, he said, ‘I kept getting asked by people, when it happened, what did you say to the boys, and how did you emotionally deal with it? And I said, I was too busy. I was too busy being a dad and a principal carer.’ He’s an extraordinary man.”
Lincoln next returns to the Rick Grimes role in the untitled Walking Dead feature film still planned for theatrical release. In December, Lincoln revealed the film would begin shooting in the spring.
Starring Naomi Watts, Andrew Lincoln, Jacki Weaver, and Rachel House, Penguin Bloom is streaming on Netflix on January 27.
Follow the author @CameronBonomolo on Twitter for all things TWD. The Walking Dead returns to AMC with new episodes on Sunday, February 28.
