Speaking of movies based on video games, we now have our first official trailer for The Oregon Trail: The Movie! Well, okay, not really, but I do find it interesting that everyone’s knowledge of this particular slice of U.S. history seems to come from an old computer game. Anyway, this period piece is the latest film from Kelly Reichardt (Old Joy, Wendy and Lucy) and it takes place in 1845, with three families hiring a man named Stephen Meek to guide their wagons through to the Cascade Mountains. Unfortunately, things don’t go according to plan.

Meek is a real person who made a name for himself during that time period guiding travelers across the trail, and in the film he is played by Bruce Greenwood. The cast also includes Michelle Williams, Paul Dano, Shirley Henderson and Will Patton. Based on the subject matter and Reichardt’s previous work, it certainly has the potential to be a rather bleak film, but the trailer has me intrigued and I love the colour palette on display. Meek’s Cutoff hits select theatres on April 8th; check out the trailer after the jump and see what you think.