A suspenseful new trailer for director Clint Eastwood's upcoming film, "American Sniper," is generating buzz after being released late last week.
Slate reported that the film, expected to debut on Christmas Day, is based on real-life Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, who is said to be the most deadly sniper in U.S. history with 160 confirmed kills. The film is based on Kyle's 2012 memoir, which he published before his death one year later at the hands a fellow U.S. military veteran at a Texas gun range.
In the new trailer, the Academy Award-nominated Bradley Cooper plays Kyle, who is perched on a rooftop in Iraq with his sniper rifle. During the scene he sees a woman and child emerge from a house, and begin walking toward a ground regiment. His commander radios permission for him to assess the potential threat, and act in accordance with that assessment.
As the boy gets closer and closer to the troops, Kyle has flashbacks to his wedding and home life, intensifying the decision to take a human life.
Steven Spielberg was originally slated to direct the film, but Clint Eastwood stepped in to direct "American Sniper" after he stepped out. Months ahead of the release the film is already generating major Oscar buzz.
The movie's star, Bradley Cooper, will have a shot at being nominated for the prestigious award three years in a row, which can only be said of nine other male actors.
Eastwood, 82, won Best Director at the Academy Awards for 1992's "Unforgiven" as well as boxing film "Million Dollar Baby" in 2004. "American Sniper" will likely be his shot at the Best Director hat-trick.