First Look at Clint Eastwood's 'American Sniper'

First Look at Clint Eastwood's 'American Sniper'

The first trailer for Clint Eastwood’s American Sniper has been released by Warner Bros.

American Sniper is an adaptation of the New York Times best seller American Sniper: The Autobiography of the most Lethal Sniper In U.S. Military History, which was written by Chris Kyle, a former United States Navy SEAL.

Kyle survived four tours in Iraq and has the most confirmed sniper kills in U.S. military history.

Throughout his ten years of service, he was awarded two Silver Star Medals, five Bronze Star Medals, and several other commendations for his acts of valor.

The decorated war veteran received an honorable discharge in 2009.

On Feb. 2, 2013, Chris Kyle was fatally shot at a Texas gun range by former marine Eddie Routh. Kyle had reportedly taken Routh to the range as a form of therapy to treat his alleged Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Bradley Cooper signed on to portray Kyle in American Sniper before he was fatally shot and felt that it was his duty to carry on his legacy through the film’s creation.

“I had to do right by him and his family, there was really no choice,” Cooper said. “You’re sitting across the dining room table talking to this person’s father and mother. And his children and his wife are there. And he’s passed away. Knowing that they are putting all of their stories in your hands and the responsibility of that, it’s actually unique.”

According to Cooper, American Sniper is not just a war movie, but a character study about a man who completed multiple deployments to Iraq and then chose to separate from the military to focus on his family life.

The two-time Academy Award nominee reflected on the first and only conversation he had with Kyle and the vow that he made to accurately tell his story.

“Thank God I got to talk to him once on the phone,” he said. “It was a very quick conversation. But I did tell him how serious I was about making this movie. And he should just know that whatever fears he had about Hollywood, to just put them aside and trust me.”

American Sniper hits select theaters on Dec. 25, 2014. 

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