Ang Lee reached the top of the mountain again in 2012 when his last film, LIFE OF PI, was a critical smash that sparked the imaginations of fans and fellow filmmakers alike. Jon Favreau credited the film with inspiring him to make the current global hit THE JUNGLE BOOK. Lee, who has a resumé thatalso includes beloved films like CROUCHING TIGER, HIDDEN DRAGON and BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, looks to be at it again with BILLY LYNN’S LONG HALFTIME WALK.

The film seemingly takes place entirely in the mind of its titular character, as he walks across the field during a halftime celebration at a football game. In the trailer below, you’ll see how we start in the present and then, as he takes his first steps, we go into a series of flashbacks that explain how he got here, and why this walk is so monumental. 

Here’s the official teaser trailer for BILLY LYNN’S LONG HALFTIME WALK:

The film is told from the point of view of 19-year-old private Billy Lynn, who, along with his fellow soldiers in Bravo Squad, has been hailed as a hero and brought home for a victory tour after a harrowing Iraq battle. Through flashbacks, culminating at the spectacular halftime show of the Thanksgiving Day football game, the film reveals what really happened to the squad – contrasting the realities of the Iraq conflict with America’s celebration back home.

Lynn is played by newcomer Joe Alwyn, who’s flanked by an impressive supporting cast that includes Vin Diesel, Steve Martin, Kristen Stewart, Chris Tucker, and Garrett Hedlund. 

BILLY LYNN’S LONG HALFTIME WALK, a meditation on what it is we consider a hero and the true cost of war, comes out on November 11.

I don’t often do war movies. The last one I checked out, I believe, was THE HURT LOCKER, but I think you can sign me up for this. How about you?

SOURCE: Sony Pictures