Scarlett Johansson and Matt Damon Star in 'We Bought a Zoo' Trailer (Video)

20th Century Fox

Lions and tigers and Matt Damon, oh my!

Cameron Crowe’s We Bought a Zoo trailer premiered on Wednesday, presenting the first look at both the zoo’s animals and stars Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson.

The based-on-a-true-story film from 20th Century Fox features Damon as Benjamin Mee, a father who uses his life’s savings to move his family to a zoo that is on the brink of extinction. The film is based on Mee’s memoir of the same name.

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“You don’t even need a lot of special knowledge to run a zoo. What you need is a lot of heart,” says Damon’s character in the trailer.

The film co-stars Johansson, who plays a zoo keeper. The film also stars Thomas Haden Church, Elle Fanning and Colin Ford.

Director Cameron Crowe (Almost Famous) will next release a documentary on the band Pearl Jam, Pearl Jam Twenty, which will show at the Toronto International Film Festival.

We Bought a Zoo opens in theaters on December 23.