After laughing and crying my way through Hunt for the Wilderpeople, I wasn’t sure I was ready for another challenging tale of whimsy and wonder, but the latest trailer for Juan Antonio Bayona’s A Monster Calls is more than enough to change my mind.

Unlike most children his age, 12-year-old Conor (Lewis MacDougall) is trying his best to come to terms with his mother’s illness and the ridicule of his peers at school. Conor copes with his daily troubles by escaping into a fantasy world populated with monsters and quests that will put his courage to the test. Based on the award-winning fantasy novel by Patrick Ness, A Monster Calls is already generating sizeable Oscar buzz and a wealth of critical praise. 

Next up for director Juan Antonio Bayona is the as yet untitled sequel to Jurassic World, plot details are being kept under wraps, but we’ve been teased that the movie will be much “scarier” than previous entries in the franchise.

Also starring Felicity Jones, Toby Kebbell, Sigourney Weaver and Liam Neeson, A Monster Calls is released in UK cinemas on New Year’s Day. Check out the new trailer below.

A visually spectacular drama from acclaimed director Juan Antonio Bayona (“The Impossible”), based on the award-winning fantasy novel. 12-year-old Conor (Lewis MacDougall) attempts to deal with his mother’s (Felicity Jones) illness and the bullying of his classmates by escaping into a fantastical world of monsters and fairy tales that explore courage, loss, and faith. Also featuring Liam Neeson who will star in performance-capture and voiceover as the nocturnally visiting monster of the title, and Sigourney Weaver as the maternal grandmother.