'The Revenant' First Trailer: Leonardo DiCaprio Takes on Tom Hardy, Nature, and a Bear

Based on this sneak peek, Leonardo DiCaprio could be in the hunt for that elusive Oscar for his starring role in Alejandro González I?árritu’s upcoming drama The Revenant.

The inaugural trailer (above) contains the first footage we’ve seen from the movie, and shows that I?árritu has gone far beyond the claustrophobic confines of his Oscar-winning Broadway-based Birdman. (See exclusive photos from the movie throughout this post!)

Exclusive: Leonardo DiCaprio in ‘The Revenant’ (Photo: 20th Century Fox)

Set in the 1820s, DiCaprio plays hunter Hugh Glass. I?árritu deftly captures the beauty of the sprawling terrain as an avalanche silently falls in the distance while his bearskin-covered leading man looks on. “I ain’t afraid to die anymore,” Glass says. “I done it already.”

We then get a visceral snapshot of what’s in store: Glass is in trouble after a bloody battle with the Native Americans of the area. According to the movie’s official synopsis he is brutally injured and left for dead by a disloyal comrade, John Fitzgerald, played by Tom Hardy. (It’s easy to miss Hardy amid the fast-moving fight scenes, but he first appears at the 46-second mark.)

Exclusive: Tom Hardy in 'The Revenant’ (Photo: 20th Century Fox)

From there Glass has to do everything he can to survive the brutal cold, predatory animals, and warring tribes of the wilderness. His aim: to get revenge on Fitzgerald.

The trailer offers flashes of gunplay; a hint of a showdown between Glass and Fitzgerald; what appears to be a spiritual awakening in Glass; Glass digging himself out of a dirt hole; and the best part, a bear-vs.-man fight!

The Revenant is set for a limited Christmas Day release, positioning it for an awards season run before it opens wide on Jan. 8.

Exclusive: A first look at 'The Revenant’ (Photo: 20th Century Fox)