‘Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk’ Trailer Takes You to War

Following his incredible CGI work in Life of Pi, Ang Lee took a similarly ambitious approach with his latest project, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk. We’ve been intrigued for months by reports that Lee shot the action sequences in 120fps to give them a more realistic and immersive feel, and while you can’t really grasp that in the first trailer, it’s still plenty compelling.

Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk splits its time between the present day, where a soldier and his squad are being honored for their service in Iraq during a sensational halftime show at a Thanksgiving Day football game, and the past, exploring their perilous battle overseas via the perspective of Army private Billy Lynn.

The film also features an excellent cast, with newcomer Joe Alwyn in the title role, supported by Kristen Stewart, Vin Diesel, Steve Martin and Chris Tucker. If nothing else, this movie will probably never bore you. Here’s the official synopsis:

Three-time Academy Award® winner Ang Lee brings his extraordinary vision to Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, based on the widely-acclaimed, bestselling novel. The film is told from the point of view of 19-year-old private Billy Lynn (newcomer Joe Alwyn) who, along with his fellow soldiers in Bravo Squad, becomes a hero after a harrowing Iraq battle and is brought home temporarily for a victory tour. 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 war with America’s perceptions. The film also stars Kristen Stewart, Chris Tucker, Garrett Hedlund, with Vin Diesel, and Steve Martin. Lee used new technology, shooting at an ultra-high frame rate for the first time in film history, to create an immersive digital experience helping him dramatize war in a way never seen before.

You may have also noticed that the trailer continues the agonizing trend of using slowed-down covers of pop songs. That’s pretty timely since we just released our second list of trailers that follow this relentless trend.

Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk hits theaters on November 11.