Frankie Muniz and his “Malcolm in the Middle” bestie Craig Lamar Traylor reunite for “Renner” — see the first look and trailer

Malcolm and Stevie are back together!

Frankie Muniz and Craig Lamar Traylor played onscreen best friends for seven seasons on the sitcom Malcolm in the Middle. Now, the child prodigies are back together for Renner, a thriller that follows the titular computer whiz (Muniz, playing an adult genius this go-round) as he develops an AI life coach named Selenus (voiced by Marcia Gay Harden) to help him build confidence and find love. Only he realizes too late that he accidentally programmed his manipulative mother into the computer.

Entertainment Weekly has your first look at the film's trailer, as well as an exclusive clip of the Muniz and Traylor reunion and behind-the-scenes shots of their time together on set.

Related: Frankie Muniz says TV dad Bryan Cranston 'still reaches out to me every couple weeks, checks in on me'

The trailer showcases Renner's interactions with his AI life coach, how it helps him forge a relationship with an attractive new neighbor, Jamie (Violett Beane), and how things go awry (with a lot of blood) when the AI instills Renner with a sense of paranoia.

For Muniz, the film is an opportunity to dig into the benefits and risks of AI, a hot-button topic across tech and culture. "It’s fun to be part of something where AI is on the forefront," he tells EW. "My character is trying to develop AI to help people and make the world a better place, but in the end, I’m not quite sure if he accomplishes that."

Related: Frankie Muniz says he feels 'a little bit sad' looking back at sacrifices his family made for his acting career

"The takeaway from the story is that no matter how good your intentions are with AI, there still is a little bit of bias in whoever created the AI," he adds. "That’s going to show in the code, and there’s good and bad that can come from that. For me personally, as Frankie, I’m terrified of AI! What we’ve seen so far, what’s been developed, and how things have changed scares the heck out of me. But I’m also the person who thinks the world was better before we had cell phones, so I might not be the best person to ask on a personal level."

Another clip also shows a brief interaction between Muniz and Traylor as the latter arrives in the elevator and continues down the hall. Muniz helped recruit his old pal for the part.

"It was amazing to work with Craig Lamar Traylor again!" Muniz gushes. "I mean, we have so many memories from Malcolm in the Middle and basically grew up together. It had been years since I’d seen him, and we had so much fun catching up on set."

Related: Frankie Muniz recalls walking off Malcolm in the Middle for 2 episodes

"I was thrilled he could be part of it," the actor continues. "It's a very small role, but it's definitely a cool little Easter egg for those who notice and connect the dots. There aren't many actors in the film, but I'm glad he is one of them."

Perhaps it will set the groundwork for the two to re-team in the Malcolm in the Middle revival that Disney+ has in the works.

Related: Malcolm in the Middle revival coming to Disney+, stars Frankie Muniz, Bryan Cranston, Jane Kaczmarek to return

Renner is Muniz's first feature film in seven years, having last appeared in the horror film The Black String in 2018. In that time, he's made scattered television appearances, including as himself on Harley Quinn and Total Bellas, and in guest starring roles on The Rookie and New Amsterdam. But Renner marks a more significant return to the screen for him.

"When I first read Renner, I loved that I had the chance to embark on the journey he experienced in the story," Muniz says. "It explores nearly every emotion on the spectrum: from joy and happiness to sadness and depression, to love, lust, and euphoria, to pure anger and hatred. I thought it would be an incredible challenge to portray."

Related: Bryan Cranston is 'thrilled at the prospect' of a Malcolm in the Middle reunion

Muniz says that the film also gave him the opportunity to sink his teeth into a role in new ways. "I was a little nervous going into it because I knew Renner would be a tougher character to play," he notes. "But in the end, it was an incredible experience working on this movie. As odd as it might sound, and you might not understand this when you see the movie, but this was the first time as an actor I had trouble distinguishing film and real life in terms of emotions, which made it such a unique and unforgettable experience."

When the film hits theaters on Feb. 7, Muniz promises plenty of shocks and thrills and advises audiences to stick it out to the very end.

Related: Frankie Muniz is becoming a full-time NASCAR racer: 'Finally making my dream a reality'

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"What Robert Rippberger, the director, achieved with a tight schedule and indie budget," he reflects, "I think we made an incredible movie that people are going to be shocked to see. And perhaps they should stay through some end credits as well."

Watch the trailer and clip above for more.

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