Kathryn Bigelow is returning to the Middle East, the hotbed of political unrest and war at the center of her Oscar-winning "The Hurt Locker," with "Zero Dark Thirty."
Details of the film have been closely guarded, but Sony Pictures released a teaser Monday that should get any cinephile's blood pumping and announces Bigelow's next as another awards contender from the only woman ever to nab an Oscar for best director
"Zero Dark Thirty" features an impressive roster of talent, including Jessica Chastain ("The Help"), Joel Edgerton ("Warrior"), Kyle Chandler ("Friday Night Lights") and Mark Strong ("Green Lantern"), but the true star of the film is its ripped-from-the-headlines account of the killing of Osama bin Laden. That's the name that keeps getting repeated in the gripping trailer, which also sports the same spastic camera work that made "The Hurt Locker" so arresting.
The film has already generated its share of controversy after Rep. Peter King (R-NY), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, questioned whether Bigelow and co-writer Mark Boal were given access to classified material regarding the al Qaeda leader's shooting. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta later testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee that no unauthorized information was leaked to the filmmakers.
"Zero Dark Thirty" hits theaters on Dec. 19.
