Focus Features has released the first A Monster Calls trailer. The film is based on the award-winning children’s novel and follows 12-year-old Conor (Lewis MacDougall) as he “attempts to deal with his mother’s (Felicity Jones) illness and the bullying of his classmates by escaping into a fantastical world of monsters and fairy tales that explore courage, loss, and faith.”

While the trappings of the trailer are a bit distracting (Cloud Atlas score! Liam Neeson growling his dialogue!), this still sounds like a great premise that’s in the vein of Where the Wild Things Are. I don’t know if director J.A. Bayona, whose past credits include The Orphanage and The Impossible, can match the visual artistry of Spike Jonze, but this trailer has me eager to find out.

Check out the A Monster Calls trailer below. The film opens October 14, 2016, and also stars Sigourney Weaver and Toby Kebbell.

Here’s the official synopsis:

A visually spectacular drama from acclaimed director Juan Antonio Bayona (“The Impossible”), based on the award-winning children’s fantasy novel. 12-year-old Conor (Lewis MacDougall) attempts to deal with his mother’s (Felicity Jones) illness and the bullying of his classmates by escaping into a fantastical world of monsters and fairy tales that explore courage, loss, and faith.