Oscar-winning director Ang Lee (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) returns behind the camera to bring us Life of Pi this December, a film hotly tipped to be heading to the Oscars, adapting Yann Martel’s previously-thought unadaptable acclaimed novel.

The first trailer debuted last month, giving us an exception first look at the film, and now three new hi-res images have made their way online, giving us a look at newcomer Suraj Sharma in the lead, alongside the rather terrifying Bengal tiger.

“Director Ang Lee (Brokeback Mountain, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) creates a groundbreaking movie event about a young man who survives a tragic disaster at sea and is hurtled into an epic journey of adventure and discovery. While marooned on a lifeboat, he forms an amazing and unexpected connection with the ship’s only other survivor — a fearsome Bengal tiger.”

Gérard Depardieu, Irrfan Khan, and Tabu star alongside Sharma, and though Tobey Maguire was previously thought to be playing the part of Yann Martel himself, Lee has since said that he decided to go for an all-international cast, and it looks like London-born Rafe Spall has instead filled the slot.

Life of Pi has been selected to open the New York Film Festival next month, and will then be heading to US theatres on 21st November, followed by a 21st December release in the UK. Expectations are high for this to be heading for an awards campaign, and if the first trailer is anything to go by, the odds are looking very good. For now, enjoy these three new images, and as usual, you can click to enlarge.