Warner Bros.

The official trailer for Christopher Nolan’s “Dunkirk” was released by Warner Bros. on Friday and it is both harrowing and epic. Written and directed by Nolan, the movie concerns the mass rescue and evacuation of allied troops from the beaches of Dunkirk, France during World War II, where they were stranded and surrounded by the German army.

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill referred to the events in France “a colossal military disaster”. This line can be heard narrating the opening scenes, and quickly followed by ticking of the clock as we watch the allied troops under duress on land, air and sea.

The trailer is haunting, beautifully shot, and captured the intensity and chaos in Dunkirk. This all reminds us that the acclaimed filmmaker is not slowing down on making such large scale epic films, and that can only be a good thing. Nolan has put his heart and soul into this: in addition to his star-studded cast, he’s recruited 6,000 extras for the film. IMAX cameras were also hand-held by cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema for long durations, a painful yet pioneering practice on a feature film.

Dunkirk hits theaters July 21, similar to Nolan’s ‘The Dark Knight Rises,’ and ‘Inception,’ which were both released in July.