'Flowers of War' Trailer: Christian Bale Protects Girls From Invading Japanese in 1937 China (Video)

The trailer for Zhang Yimou’s The Flowers of War, starring Christian Bale, hit the Internet on Thursday.

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The movie, which will be China’s submission for the best foreign-language film Academy Award, is adapted by screenwriter Liu Heng from Yan Geling’s historical novel 13 Flowers of Nanjing.

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Flowers of War is set in Nanking in 1937 as the Japanese Imperial Army overruns China’s capital city. Bale plays John Haufman, an American missionary who helped protect a group of schoolgirls and prostitutes from the invading army.

In the movie, Bale takes on the guide of a priest as he looks to escape the soldiers. The trailer features a lot of gunfire and action.

FilmNation Entertainment, which is handling international sales, previewed footage during the recent Toronto International Film Festival, and several U.S. buyers are currently circling the project.

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The film, with dialogue in both Mandarin and English, will be released in China in December. No U.S. release date is set, although the Oscar nomination will spur interest.