'The Impossible': New trailer shows brutal start of tsunami - VIDEO

Published on August 20, 2012 12:00PM EDT

The new trailer for Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor’s upcoming tsunami drama The Impossible shows literally the calm before the storm, and then the horrific storm itself.

Classical music plays over flashes of serene waves, scuba diving, kids frolicking on a perfect, bright beach in Thailand and pensive, loving looks between Watts as Maria and her husband Henry, played by McGregor, at dinner.

Then all hell breaks loose.

Check out the trailer from Summit Entertainment below.

It starts with shaking, like something straight out of Jurassic Park, with a wave as massive as a dinosaur crushing and smashing palm trees in its path, heading straight for a swimming pool where McGregor’s character and his kids stare on in fear.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bgw394ZKsis&w=510

It all feels terrifyingly real, given that the film, in theaters Dec. 21 and directed by Juan Antonio Bayona (The Orphanage), is based on the true story of a married couple who attempt to keep their family alive during 2004’s deathly Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami in Southeast Asia.

What comes next is a further glimpse into the survival saga, with McGregor cooing to two of his sons, “I saw the two of you, and didn’t feel so scared anymore.” A cover of U2’s anthem One follows, with images of Watts caked in mud and dirt with her other son, and the separate family units searching for each other.

Given how intense the trailer is, the film will certifiably spur on tears.

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