The Zookeeper’s Wife Trailer: Jessica Chastain Saves Lives in WWII

Based on the non-fiction book of the same name written by Diane Ackerman in 2007, The Zookeeper’s Wife tells the story of a working wife and mother, Antonina Żabińska, who found herself under siege by the Nazis in 1939 Poland while working as the caretaker with her husband, Dr. Jan Żabiński, of the Warsaw Zoo. The World War II drama is directed by Welsh filmmaker Niki Caro (McFarland, USA) based on an adapted screenplay by Angela Workman, and stars two-time Oscar nominee Jessica Chastain (The Martian) as Antonina Żabińska; as well as Daniel Brühl (Captain America: Civil War) as the Reich-appointed chief zoologist, Lutz Heck.

Placed between a rock and hard place, Antonina and her husband Jan (Johan Heldenbergh) decide to join forces with the Resistance in order to covertly save lives from an area that quickly becomes known as the Warsaw Ghetto. Unfortunately, their actions aren’t among the safer options for citizens living in Nazi-occupied Poland, and their fight to protect Jewish citizens comes at a high cost to their own safety as a nuclear unit. For more on that, watch the newly-released The Zookeeper’s Wife trailer, featured above.

The Zookeeper’s Wife trailer teases a harrowing tale of the actions taken by two of the bravest European citizens during the height of Nazi Germany inThe Zookeeper’s Wife proper. Chastain once again appears to be in tip-top acting form as Antonina Żabińska, and the film itself looks as though it could be something special. On that note: we also have the official poster for The Zookeeper’s Wife, which you can check out below:

Following the release of this month’s Hacksaw Ridge, Caro’s The Zookeeper’s Wife may provide filmgoers with another engaging recount of World War II – here, from the perspective of Europeans who were directly in harm’s way during the rise of Nazi Germany. Chastain and Brühl have enough collective talent between them to keep audiences interested in watching this specific, harrowing true story of resistance in the face to tyranny.

Caro came to prominence as a director with the release of her Oscar-nominated 2002 film Whale Rider, and in the time since she has built herself a stable position as one of the more respected directors currently working. Only time will tell how well her latest directorial effort is received, so here’s to hoping for the very best from The Zookeeper’s Wife.       

The Zookeeper’s Wife opens in U.S. theaters on March 31, 2017.

Source: Focus Features