Watership Down with John Boyega, James McAvoy gets first trailer

“This isn’t about cute rabbits,” as Star Wars actor John Boyega warns, “it’s kind of messed up.”

The first trailer for Netflix and BBC One’s miniseries adaptation of Watership Down shows off some star-studded voice talent, while also reminding us that hardships for these rabbits lie ahead.

Boyega, James McAvoy (His Dark Materials), Nicholas Hoult (Dark Phoenix), Olivia Colman (The Favourite), Ben Kingsley (War Machine), Gemma Arterton (Vita and Virginia), Daniel Kaluuya (Get Out), Rosamund Pike (A Private War), Gemma Chan (Crazy Rich Asians), Peter Capaldi (Doctor Who), and Taron Egerton (Rocketman) voice roles in the animated adventure, which is pulled from Richard Adams‘ classic novel.

The story follows a group of rabbits who must flee their warren to escape destruction. Led by brothers Hazel (McAvoy) and Fiver (Hoult), they set out on a journey to find a new home, dodging predators and other hardships along the way.

Noam Murro directs the four-part miniseries, which was adapted by Tom Bidwell.

Watership Down will debut on Netflix this Dec. 23, while BBC One will air it in the U.K. from Dec. 22-23.

Related content:

• Watership Down: James McAvoy, John Boyega join Netflix-BBC miniseries
• Richard Adams, Watership Down author, dies at 96