Weaving a hopeful path through a tragic childhood often involves a touch of magic. J. A. Bayona brings Patrick Ness’s acclaimed novel to the big screen with Lewis MacDougall, Felicity Jones and Sigourney Weaver as well as the gravel-drawn tones of Liam Neeson as the titular monster.

This new trailer gives us a little more of what we’re expecting, with the visual effects work still looking fantastic. The film is playing at the London Film Festival next month before it lands here and in the US on the 6th of January, 2017.

Synopsis!

A visually spectacular drama from acclaimed director Juan Antonio Bayona (“The Impossible”), based on the award-winning fantasy novel. 12-year-old Conor (Lewis MacDougall) attempts to deal with his mother’s (Felicity Jones) illness and the bullying of his classmates by escaping into a fantastical world of monsters and fairy tales that explore courage, loss, and faith. Also featuring Liam Neeson who will star in performance-capture and voiceover as the nocturnally visiting monster of the title, and Sigourney Weaver as the maternal grandmother.

Here’s your new trailer,