Bradley Cooper is Navy SEAL Chris Kyle in American Sniper Teaser Trailer

Posted on October 3, 2014

Bradley Cooper is an expert sniper in Clint Eastwood's new thriller, American Sniper. The film is based on the true story of Chris Kyle, the decorated American navy sniper. Kyle wrote a book about his experiences called American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History which was a New York Times bestseller.

Kyle earned legendary status among his fellow SEALs, Marines, and U.S. Army soldiers, whom he protected with deadly accuracy from rooftops and stealth positions. Gripping and unforgettable, Kyle's masterful account of his extraordinary battlefield experiences ranks as one of the greatest war memoirs of all time. Kyle grew up in Texas and learned to shoot with his father who took him on hunting trips. He was a rodeo champion before he joined the Navy. A Navy SEAL, Kyle was sent to Iraq. His job was to keep his comrades alive during covert ops. He excelled at his job, and saved many lives. But his job was brutal and it wreaked havoc on his family life.

He earned the nickname "Legend" from his fellow SEALS and was decorated many times for his valor. After the war he went home where he faced a new set of challenges, including dealing with the memories of the horrors he had seen during war.

This first teaser trailer gives us a look at what Kyle's life on patrol was like, with the type of agonizing decisions he was faced with every day. It's a gripping trailer, no question. The film was directed by Clint Eastwood and also stars Sienna Miller, Jake McDorman, Luke Grimes, Navid Negahban and Keir O'Donnell.

The film will have a Christmas release, going into wider release after the New Year. Sadly, Kyle will not see the film. In 2013, he was shot and killed by an ex-Marine he was trying to help through a bad case of PTSD. Kyle spent a great deal of his time trying to help other veterans adjust to civilian life. Take a look:

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