Watch the politically provocative first trailer for Oliver Stone's Edward Snowden movie

(Image credit: Screenshot/YouTube)

Summer blockbuster season hasn't even begun — but if you're ready to take a very early look at one of next fall's Oscar hopefuls, check out the first trailer for Oliver Stone's Snowden, which stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the NSA employee who leaked classified documents revealing the U.S. government's mass surveillance of citizens:

Edward Snowden remains a polarizing cultural figure, with legions of admirers and detractors — but this trailer makes it clear that Oliver Stone will depict Snowden as a patriot and a hero, leaking top-secret intel out of a sense of moral duty. "There's something going on inside the government that's really wrong, and I can't ignore it," he tells his girlfriend (Shailene Woodley) — a decision that will come at a great cost to both of them.

Snowden hits theaters on September 16, 2016.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Scott Meslow is the entertainment editor for TheWeek.com. He has written about film and television at publications including The Atlantic, POLITICO Magazine, and Vulture.