Trailer for 'The Revenant': Will Leo finally get his Oscar?

Posted Friday, July 17, 2015 at 4:30 PM Central
Last updated Friday, July 17, 2015 at 4:53 PM Central

by John Couture

Chances are that when I say the title The Revenant, not much comes to mind. That's primarily because we are still in the heat of summer and studios aren't too keen to advertise their award contenders until the sweat of summer is replaced with the chill of Fall.

Fox, which is basically devoid of any summer blockbusters save for next month's Fantastic Four, isn't afraid to shake things up a bit. Enter the trailer for Leonardo DiCaprio's latest play for an Oscar and now you'll understand what The Revenant is.

OK, you might still be left scratching your head, but let me fill in a few blanks. The story is "inspired by true events" and revolves around DiCaprio's Hugh Glass, who is a legendary explorer left for dead after being attacked by a bear. Spoiler alert, the bear attack doesn't kill him and he has to fight to survive long enough to find his family, or avenge a wrong of some other cliché.

The bear attack took place in 1823 and as you can see from the trailer, he has run-ins with a few Native Americans and other threats to his health and wellbeing. Naturally, the film is being set up as the latest in a long run of Oscar-bait films for Leonardo DiCaprio who has yet to win despite securing four nominations for his acting.

The film is directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, whom you may recognize as the director of such films as Birdman and Babel. He won three Oscars last year alone for Birdman. So, will Inarritu's magic touch be the missing ingredient in Leo's hunt for the elusive Oscar, or will he once again feel the snub of a close miss?

Tune in later this year to find out. For now, check out the trailer below. The Revenant hits theaters on Christmas.