The Hateful Eight and its director, Quentin Tarantino, have been attracting heat lately as police unions nationwide call for a boycott of the film following Tarantino’s statements about police brutality last month. There’s also quite a bit of tension—albeit fictional—in the new trailer for the film, where we see our eponymous eight sizing each other up in the isolated cabin where the majority of the film’s action takes place. The oppressive confines of the cabin contrast with the chilly snowbound mountains surrounding it, the grandeur of which we finally start to see in this second trailer.
Also emphasized is Tarantino’s signature witty repartee, mostly between “Bounty Hunter” Samuel L. Jackson (who frankly has been killing it in the narration department lately), “Hangman” Kurt Russell (who’s been on a bit of a Western kick lately), and “Prisoner” Jennifer Jason Leigh (whose career is also on the upswing). We’re sure, however, that Tarantino knows better than to waste the talents of Walton Goggins, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Bruce Dern, and Demian Bichir, who will presumably deliver some lively dialogue of their own when The Hateful Eight begins its 70mm roadshow run on December 25. (A digital wide release bows January 8.)