Magnolia Pictures has released the first trailer for the new sci-fi film Europa Report.  Directed by Sebastian Cordero, the film follows a contemporary mission to Jupiter’s moon Europa to investigate the possible existence of alien life.  Naturally, when the crew lands on the surface and starts digging below the ice, they find themselves in dire circumstances.  The film isn’t exactly found footage, but most of the pic is framed using cameras inside the spacecraft, on the external vehicles, and in documentary-style interviews with the crew members.  The practical effects approach is definitely impressive, and there’s a strong horror undercurrent that looks to be quite effective.

Hit the jump to watch the trailer.  The film stars Sharlto Copley, Michael Nyqvist, Christian Camargo, Embeth Davidtz, Dan Fogler, Anamaria Marinca, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Karolina Wydra, and Daniel WuEuropa Report will be available on iTunes on June 27th and hits theaters on August 2nd.

Click over to Apple to watch in HD.

Here’s the official synopsis for Europa Report:

EUROPA REPORT follows a contemporary mission to Jupiter's moon Europa to investigate the possible existence of alien life within our solar system. When unmanned probes suggest that a hidden ocean could exist underneath Europa's icy surface and may contain single-celled life, Europa Ventures, a privately funded space exploration company, sends six of the best astronauts from around the world to confirm the data and explore the revolutionary discoveries that may lie in the Europan ocean. After a near-catastrophic technical failure that leads to loss of communication with Earth and the tragic death of a crewmember, the surviving astronauts must overcome the psychological and physical toll of deep space travel, and survive a discovery on Europa more profound than they had ever imagined.

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