The classic crime novel Nightmare Alley — which has already been made into a movie once before in the 1940s with Tyrone Power — is coming back to theaters in a new form from director Guillermo del Toro. Directing his first film since his Oscar-winning The Shape of Water, del Toro — who also co-wrote the film with author and film critic Kim Morgan — has assembled an all-star cast, including Bradley Cooper and Cate Blanchett in the two lead roles, to make what looks like the first true film noir of his career.

The film’s new trailer, shows off the impressive cast (Rooney Mara, Richard Jenkins, Willem Dafoe, and Toni Collette all appear) and a gorgeous use of color. Just look at those deep blues and those vibrant reds in Mara’s dresses. Watch the trailer below:

Here’s the film’s official synopsis:

When charismatic but down-on-his-luck Stanton Carlisle (Bradley Cooper) endears himself to clairvoyant Zeena (Toni Collette) and her has-been mentalist husband Pete (David Strathairn) at a traveling carnival, he crafts a golden ticket to success, using this newly acquired knowledge to grift the wealthy elite of 1940s New York society. With the virtuous Molly (Rooney Mara) loyally by his side, Stanton plots to con a dangerous tycoon (Richard Jenkins) with the aid of a mysterious psychiatrist (Cate Blanchett) who might be his most formidable opponent yet.

Nightmare Alley opens in theaters on December 17. Del Toro also has his version of Pinocchio coming to Netflix likely some time in 2022.

DVDs and Blu-rays That Are Still Very Valuable

More From Mix 97.9 FM