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2nd 'Ad Astra' Trailer Teases More Spectacular Sci-Fi Starring Brad Pitt

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Astronaut Roy McBride will uncover secrets that challenge the nature of human existence.

Following the first trailer that was released just a few weeks ago, excitement has been steadily growing for a movie that looks like it could be the cinematic sci-fi event of the year.

A stunning second trailer for Brad Pitt's intergalactic adventure film "Ad Astra" offers a few more tantalizing details as he races through space while something called the "surge" is threatening all life on Earth.

Astronaut Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) travels to the outer edges of the solar system to find his missing father (Tommy Lee Jones). (Image credit: 20th Century Fox)

And, yes, we're convinced now that the enormous tower that debuted in the last trailer is indeed a space elevator.

Related: Biggest Space Movies to Watch in 2019 

Pitt plays Roy McBride, an astronaut who "travels to the outer edges of the solar system to find his missing father [Tommy Lee Jones] and unravel a mystery that threatens the survival" of life as we know it, according to the movie's synopsis.

Space elevators are, without a doubt, the future of mass transportation into Earth orbit. (Image credit: 20th Century Fox)

"His journey will uncover secrets that challenge the nature of human existence and our place in the cosmos," the synopsis says.

In the second trailer we see Pitt sending into space what appears to be an emotional audio transmission in which he requests to see his father once again. We also see some astronauts shooting at each other as they race across the dusty lunar surface in rovers — holy hubcap, what's going on here?

"Ad Astra" means "to the stars" in Latin. It's often used as a shorthand for "Ad Astra per Asperas," which translates "to the stars through difficulties."

Who's chasing whom … and how come they're shooting at each other?! (Image credit: 20th Century Fox)

The movie will have its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, in Italy, which begins on Aug. 28. It also stars Liv Tyler, Donald Sutherland and Ruth Negga and will go on general release on Sept. 20, having been delayed from its May release date because of Disney's buyout of Fox.

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Scott Snowden
Scott Snowden

When Scott's application to the NASA astronaut training program was turned down, he was naturally upset...as any 6-year-old boy would be. He chose instead to write as much as he possibly could about science, technology and space exploration. He graduated from The University of Coventry and received his training on Fleet Street in London. He still hopes to be the first journalist in space.