Bullet Train: Brad Pitt is off the rails in assassin movie trailer

Stow away your complaints about Great Western Railway. At least your carriage wasn't filled with top assassins trying to kill each other. That's the delirious premise of Bullet Train, the new movie from Deadpool 2 and Atomic Blonde director David Leitch. The first trailer has arrived and it's promising a rippingly violent time at the movies.

A John Wick stunt co-ordinator turned filmmaker, Leitch specialises in high concept action sequences. One of his most famous, and bruising, set-pieces involved Charlize Theron laying waste to all and sundry in Atomic Blonde's remarkably punishing and exciting single-take fist-fight sequence.

Now, it's up to A-lister Brad Pitt to demonstrate his action chops. His reluctant killer and hopeful retiree Lady Bug must negotiate his way around a Tokyo bullet train that's populated with his highly skilled rivals. These include Bryan Tyree Henry's Lemon, Aaron Taylor Johnson's Tangerine (we're wondering what the citrus connection is here) and Joey King's Prince. There's also a credited role for Sandra Bullock, as well as veteran Japanese character actor Hiroyuki Sanada.

The colour palette is bold and the action looks suitably wince-inducing in Leitch's latest movie, although it also seems to be underscored with a notion of jet black humour. The movie is based on the novel Maria Beetle (published in English as Bullet Train) by Kōtarō Isaka, and according to a Vulture report, Brad Pitt performed most of his own stunts.

Clearly, like Charlize Theron before him, Pitt was compelled to go the extra mile for his director. Michael Shannon, Zazie Beetz and Logan Lerman co-star in Bullet Train, which pulls into the station on 15th July 2022.