John Cho faces AI terror in first trailer for Afraid

The film follows Curtis as his family tests a digital assistant called AIA, only to discover it may be too attached.

John Cho begins to regret using an AI device to protect his loved ones in the first trailer for the thriller Afraid.

Sony released the trailer on Wednesday for the film, directed and written by Chris Weitz. Afraid, formerly titled They Listen, will hit theaters on August 30. 

Produced by Columbia Pictures and Blumhouse Productions, the movie focuses on Curtis (Cho), whose family is chosen to test a cutting-edge digital assistant called AIA. However, they soon discover that AIA may have become overly attached to them.

In the trailer, Curtis' wife (Katherine Waterston) expresses her discomfort, saying, “I’m not crazy about having them everywhere,” referring to the cameras and sensors installed in their home.

Later, Curtis warns, “There is something very wrong with AIA,” adding urgently, “Get out of the house, now.”

The cast of Afraid also includes Havana Rose Liu, David Dastmalchian, Lukita Maxwell, Keith Carradine, and Riki Lindhome. Producers include Weitz, Jason Blum, and Andrew Miano, with Beatriz Sequeira, Paul O. Davis, Dan Balgoyen, and Britta Rowings serving as executive producers.

Weitz's previous directorial works include About a Boy (2002), The Golden Compass (2007), The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009), and Operation Finale (2018), starring Oscar Isaac.

Cho's recent film credits include Don’t Make Me Go (2022), The Grudge (2020), and Searching (2018). He has also appeared in TV series such as The Sympathizer and Cowboy Bebop.

Blumhouse previously delved into AI-themed fears with the 2022 hit M3GAN, which has a sequel scheduled for release in June 2025 and a spinoff titled SOULM8TE in development.