Bradley Cooper is an 'American Sniper' in this heart-pounding trailer

Bradley Cooper plays the most lethal sniper in U.S. history, according to the riveting U.K. trailer for American Sniper, an upcoming drama from director Clint Eastwood that's based on the late Navy SEAL Chris Kyle's bestselling autobiography.

Cooper, who'd acquired the rights to the memoir early on, was deep in development when Kyle was tragically shot in early 2013. Though shaken, he decided to proceed with the film. In a Fresh Air interview, he said: "His story first of all really needs to be told, and it's also relevant on two fronts: gun control and the need to address the many soldiers who are coming back with PTSD. Medicine has evolved to such a state — soldiers are coming back and they're going to assimilate into the culture and if we don't address the mental state along with the physical state it's going to be a problem."

Check out the sparse, tense trailer below.

Warner Bros. will open American Sniper in limited release on Dec. 25, followed by a wider run beginning on Jan. 16.