‘Birdman’ Trailer: Michael Keaton Struggles to Hang Up the Cape

Fox Searchlight released the first 'Birdman' trailer, featuring Michael Keaton as a washed-up actor known mainly for portraying a superhero, and it is one helluva preview. Evocative and dark, funny and strange, the footage has done what all trailers set out to do: it took something we didn't care about and made us desperate to see it.

Director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu spent his entire career depressing audiences with films like 'Babel,' '21 Grams' and 'Amores Perros,' so the blackly comic tone of 'Birdman' is a significant (and welcome) departure for him. Keaton stars as an actor, best known for playing a superhero back in the day, who attempts to revive his career with a Broadway show. We love the idea of Keaton playing off his Batman legacy in a dark comedy.

The 'Birdman' trailer doesn't get int specifics, but the complications that ensue include explosions, gigantic robot birds, his own ego, and a hilariously awkward brawl with a nearly naked Edward Norton.

Here's the official synopsis for 'Birdman':

'Birdman,' or 'The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance,' is a black comedy that tells the story of an actor (Michael Keaton) -- famous for portraying an iconic superhero -- as he struggles to mount a Broadway play. In the days leading up to the opening night, he battles his ego and attempts to recover his family, his career, and himself.

The rest of the truly bonkers cast is filled out by Zach Galifianakis, Emma Stone, Amy Ryan and Naomi Watts. In other words, this movie is just full of people you like. 'Birdman' will arrive on October 17.