Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon in 'Water for Elephants' trailer

Robert Pattinson in "Water for Elephants"

Credit: 20th Century Fox

The trailer for the screen adaptation of "Water for Elephants" is out, and the proportions of drama are, well, huge.

As previously reported, Robert Pattinson, Reese Witherspoon and Cristoph Waltz are all on tap to lead this three-ringed love story. The Austrian 'Basterd' actor plays August and Witherspoon as Marlena, two workers in a Depression-era traveling circus with the actress as its main event. ‘Twilight’ star Pattinson joins in the travels and falls for her, a dangerous prospect considering August's cruelty and control.

The trailer, released yesterday, features director Francis Lawrence's approach to "most famous circus disaster of all time," starting in with an old man with a story to tell. The gentleman is the aged version of Pattinson's Jacob, appearing to tell his perspective from the "middle of it."

"Water for Elephants," the novel, was written by Sara Gruen; it's been on the New York Times Bestseller list for more than two years. Richard LaGravenese ("P.S. I Love You," "The Fisher King") penned the script

The film will be Lawrence's first film since 2007's "I Am Legend." It is out on April 15, 2010.

You can watch the trailer in HD, via Apple, here.

What do you think? Does it look like the most spectacular show on earth or its biggest disaster?