Gerard Butler and Milo Ventimiglia star in sci-fi thriller Gamer

A NEW TRAILER has been released for sci-fi action movie Gamer, starring Gerard Butler as a man forced to fight inside a virtual reality game to save himself and free his family.

The project is an original idea from Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor, who will write and direct the film and were previously involved in the two Crank movies. They also penned the upcoming Wild West comic book adaptation Jonah Hex about a disfigured gunslinger.

Scottish actor Butler (pictured), who played King Leonidas in stylised Spartan war epic 300, has been cast in the role of Kable, the highest-ranked warrior in a game called Slayers.

Also in the movie are Heroes actor Milo Ventimiglia as a character called Rick Rape, Michael C. Hall (Six Feet Under, Dexter) as Ken Castle and rapper Ludacris as Humanez Brother.

The synopsis from the official website is as follows: "Gamer is a high-concept action thriller set in the near future, a time when mind-control technology has taken society by storm. Humans control other humans in a mass-scale, multiplayer online game.

"Reclusive billionaire Ken Castle (Michael C. Hall) has created the controversial form of entertainment, Slayers, a hugely popular game that allows millions to act out their innermost fantasies and desires - online - in front of a global audience. Gaming has evolved into a terrifying new dimension... mind control... mind manipulation... people playing people.

"At the centre is Kable (Butler), the superstar and cult hero of Slayers, the savage, ultraviolent first-person shooter game. Kable is controlled by Simon (Logan Lerman), a young gamer with a rock star status who continues to defy all odds by guiding Kable to victory each week.

"Taken from his family, imprisoned and forced to fight against his will, the modern-day gladiator must survive long enough to escape the game to free his family, regain his identity, and to save mankind from Castle's ruthless technology."

The movie, due out on September 4, was originally called Game, and then Citizen Game before changing to its current title.

Here's the new trailer...

And here's a fantastic new interactive poster...