Yesterday brought the first images of Bradley Cooper as real-life sniper Chris Kyle, whose story he’s been trying to bring to the screen for a couple of years now. The first trailer for the result, American Sniper, has followed the images, along with the poster, which you can find lower down the page.
Jason Hall adapted Navy SEAL Kyle’s book, subtitled The Autobiography Of The Most Lethal Sniper In US Military. That recorded Kyle’s career as a Texas-born shooter who notched the highest number of recorded kills for an American. But his dedication to his sights and his SEAL mates has an impact on his relationship with his wife (Sienna Miller). And in a tragic twist, Kyle was killed at a shooting range by the traumatised fellow veteran who he and a friend were helping post-military service.
This first trailer opts for a tense look at Kyle in the combat zone, figuring out his targets, intercut with scenes of him and his wife at their wedding and the birth of their child. Director Clint Eastwood has a fine line to walk with this one, and it’ll be under a very critical eye. **American Sniper **arrives in the UK on January 16.