# When's the last time "In a world..." was used seriously in a movie trailer? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 18, 2016, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whens-the-last-time-in-a-world-was-used-seriously-in-a-movie-trailer/752554 "2016-04-18T14:50:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2016, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whens-the-last-time-in-a-world-was-used-seriously-in-a-movie-trailer/752554/1 "2016-04-18T14:50:39Z")
As in, it wasn’t being used ironically or as a reference to movie trailers using “In a world” ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2016, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whens-the-last-time-in-a-world-was-used-seriously-in-a-movie-trailer/752554/2 "2016-04-18T15:01:43Z")
Perhaps the trailer for [In a World…](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuxApRnekWc) It’s mostly ironic, but it does refer to the name of the movie. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2016, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whens-the-last-time-in-a-world-was-used-seriously-in-a-movie-trailer/752554/3 "2016-04-19T07:50:44Z")
I miss Don Lafontaine. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/6bbea6/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ace)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2016, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whens-the-last-time-in-a-world-was-used-seriously-in-a-movie-trailer/752554/4 "2016-04-19T07:55:34Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Perhaps the trailer for [In a World…](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuxApRnekWc) > > It’s mostly ironic, but it does refer to the name of the movie. And you can hear it as many times as you’ll ever want. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2016, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whens-the-last-time-in-a-world-was-used-seriously-in-a-movie-trailer/752554/5 "2016-04-19T08:25:34Z")
Narration for trailers has rapidly gone out of fashion, to the point where it’s now surprising to me when I hear it. I hear it more often in kids movies, especially animation, but even then when they need to do it it usually just comes up as text on screen. I think if they use “In A World…” at all it’s now self-aware and meant as ironic. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2016, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whens-the-last-time-in-a-world-was-used-seriously-in-a-movie-trailer/752554/6 "2016-04-19T13:02:09Z")
Do we have an actual answer? We must mean that it was used in a non-funny way. I think Tim Burton’s Planet of the Apes had it in the trailer in 2001. “In a world where freedom was history…” or some crap. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2016, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whens-the-last-time-in-a-world-was-used-seriously-in-a-movie-trailer/752554/7 "2016-04-19T13:10:10Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Perhaps the trailer for [In a World…](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuxApRnekWc) > > It’s mostly ironic, but it does refer to the name of the movie. Did we have a Thread for that movie? I frigging loved that movie. Rewatched it a few times on Netflix. Netflix no longer had it for streaming, bummer. ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2016, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whens-the-last-time-in-a-world-was-used-seriously-in-a-movie-trailer/752554/8 "2016-04-19T21:19:12Z")
Well, the last trailer Don Lafontaine narrated was apparently for [Call + Response](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6vTbtKjTU0) from 2008. Yes, it begins with “in a world”. It’s a bit odd to me since the movie is a documentary, meaning “a world” in this case is the actual world. ---
**Author:** ![Penfeather](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penfeather/32/384_2.png) [@Penfeather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Penfeather)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2016, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whens-the-last-time-in-a-world-was-used-seriously-in-a-movie-trailer/752554/9 "2016-04-19T21:41:10Z")
Now, only one man can stop them. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2016, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whens-the-last-time-in-a-world-was-used-seriously-in-a-movie-trailer/752554/10 "2016-04-19T22:17:36Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Narration for trailers has rapidly gone out of fashion, to the point where it’s now surprising to me when I hear it. I hear it more often in kids movies, especially animation, but even then when they need to do it it usually just comes up as text on screen. > > I think if they use “In A World…” at all it’s now self-aware and meant as ironic. All trailers now have the air horn orchestra noise and drums that go “dun dun da-dum.” ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2016, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whens-the-last-time-in-a-world-was-used-seriously-in-a-movie-trailer/752554/11 "2016-04-19T22:42:18Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I think Tim Burton’s Planet of the Apes had it in the trailer in 2001. “In a world where freedom was history…” or some crap. [Yes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPgNrHqfTdY) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2016, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whens-the-last-time-in-a-world-was-used-seriously-in-a-movie-trailer/752554/12 "2016-04-19T22:44:03Z")
Not quite the same, but the trailer for _[Zootopia](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ns9kL1JILeo)_ begins with “In the world…” ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2016, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whens-the-last-time-in-a-world-was-used-seriously-in-a-movie-trailer/752554/13 "2016-04-23T00:12:53Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Do we have an actual answer? It stopped being used earnestly when the guy who made it famous (Don Lafontaine) died, which was in 2008. So, 2008. ---
**Author:** ![Reluctant\_A](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@Reluctant\_A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reluctant_A)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2016, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whens-the-last-time-in-a-world-was-used-seriously-in-a-movie-trailer/752554/14 "2016-04-23T01:11:25Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > I miss Don Lafontaine. Is it true that he used to honor requests to provide people’s answering machine message? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2016, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whens-the-last-time-in-a-world-was-used-seriously-in-a-movie-trailer/752554/15 "2016-05-02T19:38:36Z")
[_Puerto Ricans in Paris_ (2016)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e32QpMQUuAc) ---
**Author:** ![erysichthon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d07c76/32.png) [@erysichthon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/erysichthon)\ **Post date:** [May 2, 2016, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whens-the-last-time-in-a-world-was-used-seriously-in-a-movie-trailer/752554/16 "2016-05-02T22:01:16Z")
> [@Reluctant\_A](#): > > Is it true that he used to honor requests to provide people’s answering machine message? From the [FAQ](http://www.donlafontaine.com/Index.html?p=AskDon.html&pt) on the late Mr. LaFontaine’s website: > [@](#): > > I have done that in the past, but now the requests have become so frequent that I have had to pretty much cut it out. I occasionally will do a favor in exchange for a donation to one of my favorite charities, and sometimes as an auction item for worthy causes, but for the most part, I have had to curtail that activity, simply because of the volume of requests, and the limitations of time. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2016, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whens-the-last-time-in-a-world-was-used-seriously-in-a-movie-trailer/752554/17 "2016-05-03T00:08:37Z")
> [@Reluctant\_A](#): > > Is it true that he used to honor requests to provide people’s answering machine message? Jon Bailey does the voice over for “Honest Trailers” on YouTube. He ends each video by voicing things that people ask him to say via email. And he says it exactly the way they wrote it, including typos. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2016, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whens-the-last-time-in-a-world-was-used-seriously-in-a-movie-trailer/752554/18 "2016-05-03T00:32:56Z")
also lampooned in a [trailer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVDzuT0fXro) for Jerry Seinfeld’s film _Comedian._