Gangsters, lawmen and bootleggers (and no, not the MP3 kind). John Hillcoat‘s Lawless ‘had me at hello’ and now this new red band trailer has me wishing it was February 2013 already.

Set in Virginia, during Prohibition-era USA, Lawless is based on the true story of the bootlegging Bondurant Brothers. The film has everything you could want: wild-eyed mob bosses, hell-bent lawmen and some good ol’ boys who don’t give a rats about anyone except themselves and their moonshine. That is one explosive combination, don’t ya think?

And if that isn’t exciting enough, the film has Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises), Guy Pearce (Momento) and Gary Oldman (Leon) in it! And did I mention Nick Cave (The Proposition) wrote the screenplay? You just know this is going to be one dark and moody piece.

Also adding their talents are Jessica Chastain (Tree of Life) and Shia LaBeouf (who I’m hoping I might like now he has shed those mutating mechaniods).

As with all red band trailers, if you’re not into violence, nudity and old-school tar and feather’n, look away now – or if you’re under 18.

This really is a brilliant trailer – it looks like Lawless could end up a gangster classic. But it’s not just the imagery, story and actors…  it’s the atmosphere. As the trailer progresses there’s a real claustrophobic feel and you just know that the inevitable showdown between the three factions is going to be brutal and brilliant. Will anyone walk away from the carnage?

Oldman certainly looks to have brought all his trademark menace to this one. For that alone I’d see this film. Hardy, Pearce and even LaBeouf also look the business and I can’t wait to see them go toe-to-toe.

What do you think? Are you lovin’ the look of Lawless?

Lawless is the true story of the infamous Bondurant Brothers: bootlegging siblings who made a run for the American Dream in Prohibition-era Virginia. In this epic gangster tale, inspired by true-life tales of author Matt Bondurant’s family in his novel “The Wettest County in the World”, the loyalty of three brothers is put to the test against the backdrop of the nation’s most notorious crime wave.

Directed by John Hillcoat, the film stars Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy, Jessica Chastain, Mia Wasikowska, Guy Pearce, Gary Oldma, Dane DeHaan, Jason Clarke, Noah Taylor and Bill Camp.

Lawless shoots up our screens on February 7, 2013 – gutted we have to wait so long, given most countries will see it September-October this year! Grrrrrr.