Martin Scorsese has been interested in adapting Shūsaku Endō‘s Silence longer than many of you have been alive, and that length hasn’t been for lack of trying on his end. Then he finally started rolling cameras with Andrew Garfield, Liam Neeson, and Adam Driver — some of whom were cast three-and-a-half years ago — in the lead roles, only for the post-production to carry on an awfully long time and the completed film to just squeak into year-end release.

It feels a bit strange, then, to actually have a preview right before us, even if some (e.g. me) will refrain from watching. (When something’s been this long coming and remains so anticipated, why risk compromising the experience with an engineered bit of advertising? And so on.) Along with the trailer, one can dive into an extensive profile on the film in NY Times, in which they reveal that after 27 years of trying to get it made, it was finally done for $46.5 million with a crew of 750 people.

See the preview below for the film rated R for “some disturbing violent content.”

Martin Scorsese’s SILENCE tells the story of two Christian missionaries (Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver) who face the ultimate test of faith when they travel to Japan in search of their missing mentor (Liam Neeson) — at a time when Christianity was outlawed and their presence forbidden. The celebrated director’s 28-year journey to bring Shusaku Endo’s 1966 acclaimed novel to life will be in theaters this Christmas.

Silence will begin its release on December 23 before expanding in January.