Last night, I uncovered this trailer for the upcoming movie Cloud Atlas. An adaptation of the 2004 novel by David Mitchell, the novel tells the story of six characters who’s lives are interwoven across time. Beginning in the South Pacific in 1850, the novel moves through time periods, with each story being read or observed by the main character in the next. Eventually, things ends up in a distant, dystopian world before finally circling back to the 19th century where it all started.

In the end, all characters are apparently linked through reincarnation, the underlying theme being that human nature is universal. That much is made clear from this trailer, where the main characters appear to know each other in spite of never meeting in their current lives. Directed by Lana and Andy Wachowski and Tom Tykwer, the movie also stars such international heavyweights as Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Susan Sarandon, Hugo Weaving, Keith David, Zhou Xun, Jim Broadbent, Donna Bae, and Hugh Grant.

Check out the trailer!