'American Sniper' releases first photos of Bradley Cooper

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 2 (UPI) -- American Sniper has released the first photos of Bradley Cooper.

The 39-year-old actor portrays Chris Kyle, a real-life Navy SEAL with more than 150 confirmed kills. The film is based on Kyle's autobiography of the same name, and follows the soldier as he completes a mission in Iraq. The photos see Kyle (Cooper) don fatigues as he sits next to the coffins of his comrades, and smile as he reunites with wife Taya Kyle (Sienna Miller).

American Sniper was adapted for film by Jason Dean Hall, with Clint Eastwood as director. Max Charles, Luke Grimes, Kyle Gallner, Sam Jaeger and Jake McDorman also star. The movie opens in limited release December 25, with a general release date of January 16, 2015. Cooper is also scheduled to star alongside Jennifer Lawrence in Serena in February 2015.