The ultimate “Survivor” showdown is set to make its grand CBS debut in just over a month, welcoming back a record-breaking 24 returning castaways who’ve been outwitting, outplaying, and – in some cases – outlasting on the Emmy-winning reality competition series for the last 26 years.
In the run up to the premiere of the show’s milestone 50th season, dubbed “In the Hands of the Fans,” CBS has engaged in countless promotional campaigns, from series legend “Boston Rob” Mariano partnering with Toyota to revisit iconic “Survivor” moments on a trip down memory lane, to teasing a nationwide hunt for hidden immunity idols that will give fans the power to attend the first live “Survivor” finale taping in more than six years.
Amidst the hype, CBS have peppered fans with a number of first-look trailers at the upcoming installment, but none have been as emotionally powerful as the most recent: an epic, two-minute long trailer celebrating the legacy of “Survivor” and the sky-high stakes of Season 50, all underscored by a Green Day-powered cover of David Bowie’s 1977 chart-topper, “Heroes.”
CBS Commission Green Day Cover for ‘Epic’ Season 50 Promo
The latest trailer for “Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans,” which hit social media on Friday, January 23, opens on a montage of clips pulled from the annals of “Survivor” history, from Michael Skupin falling into a campfire on “Survivor: The Australian Outback,” to the unforgettable moment when the infamous “Black Widow Brigade” miraculously convinced Erik Reichenbach to give up his Immunity Necklace on “Survivor: Micronesia.”
Longtime host Jeff Probst then appears on screen, hanging from a helicopter, announcing, “This is ‘Survivor,’ before the needle drops and Green Day’s all-new cover of David Bowie’s “Heroes” – commissioned by CBS especially for the Season 50 promo trailer – starts playing.
A title card reading “25 Years Ago” flashes across the screen before a secondary montage begins, showing Richard Hatch being declared the first-ever “Sole Survivor” during 2000’s “Survivor: Borneo.”
Billie Joe Armstrong’s vocals take over as the trailer passes through powerful shots of former “Survivor” players like Benjamin “Coach” Wade and two-time winner Tony Vlachos before settling on the unforgettable moment when Boston Rob proposed to his now-wife Amber Bkrich during the finale of “Survivor: All-Stars.”
Powerful moments from players like Parvati Shallow, Kelley Wentworth, and Sandra Diaz-Twine, uttering her iconic catchphrase – “The Queen stays Queen” – as the underlying ballad continues to build.
Fan favorite Rupert Boneham, challenge beast Ozzy Lusth, and “Sole Survivor” J.T. Thomas – the first-ever castaway to play a so-called “Perfect Game” – cycle across the screen before cutting to footage of the show’s first-ever Tribal Council ceremony, where Sonja Christopher became the first person in history to be voted off “Survivor.”
‘Survivor 50’ Castaways Tease the High-Stakes Season
Epic drum beats echo before the trailer cuts to the cast of “Survivor 50” storming the beaches of Fiji for the first time as Probst announces over yet another montage of iconic franchise moments, “You all represent 25 years of the greatest adventure on television. We want your blood, your sweat, your tears.”
CBS“It feels a little like, high school reunion meets, like, a massacre,” says returning player Mike White, while fourth-time castaway Benjamin “Coach” Wade adds, “Let’s go slay some dragons!”
CBSThe music builds once more as castaway Colby Donaldson, who originally competed on the series’ second season in 2001, confirms just how big the stakes are this time around, telling the camera, “Look, how many more shots am I gonna get?”
CBSCirie Fields, widely considered to be the best “Survivor” player to never win the show, then appears on screen, saying that this season – her fifth – grants her a final opportunity to settle her “unfinished business.”
A final montage flashes across the screen as Probst can be heard saying to the gathered cast, “That’s how you make history. That’s how you create a legacy.”
‘Survivor’ Alumni React to ‘Chilling’ New Promo Trailer
The undoubtedly powerful trailer has since captured the attention of the “Survivor” fandom at large, being more well-received than the season’s initial trailer which focused more heavily on the inclusion of celebrity guests like YouTube sensation MrBeast and country singer Zac Brown.
“The type of promo we deserve,” wrote three-time castaway Kelley Wentworth in the comments, while “Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X” champion Adam Klein added, “SO EPIC. I love this show.”
Comments flooded in from countless other former castaways, including Boston Rob, who wrote. “The Ultimate Adventure!!! Epic!!,” and Season 50 returnee Rizo Velovic, who added, “chills. Y’all ain’t ready for it.”
“No bc why does this trailer make me so EMO?!!!” added Season 49 winner Savannah Louie, while fourth-time competitor Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick wrote, “It’s been one Hell of a ride!! The greatest reality show of all time.”
Chrissy Hofbeck, who will also be returning for a second shot at the million-dollar prize on Season 50, wrote, “I watched this like 10 times and kept trying to pause, so many great memories!! GREAT JOB to the team that put this together, and everyone who made the greatest show on television,” while “Survivor: Africa” champion Ethan Zohn added, “This is what it’s all about.”
Be sure to catch the epic three-hour premiere of “Survivor 50: In the Hands of the Fans” on CBS on Wednesday, February 25 at 8:00pm ET!
