The teaser trailer for 'Django Unchained' - Quentin Tarantino's forthcoming revenge movie - debuted this week, with an interesting first look at LEONARDI DICAPRIO in his first real villainous role.

The Hollywood star plays evil plantation owner Calvin Candie, and with slicked back hair and goatee beard, appears to be having a whale of a time. Recent turns in 'J Edgar', 'Inception', 'Shutter Island', 'Revolutionary Road', 'Blood Diamond' and 'The Departed' have won the actor his fair share of acclaim, though an Oscar has so-far eluded him. It's shaping up as though his roles for 2012 could be Leo's best chance of scooping an Academy Award. His strong hand of movies includes 'Django Unchained', and BAZ LUHRMAN's 'The Great Gatsby', which also premiered its first trailer last month. DiCaprio is certainly amongst talented company in Tarantino's latest movie, with Jamie Foxx playing a freed slave who is befriended by a German dentist who promises to help free his wife from plantation owner Mr Candie. Typically for Tarantino, the short trailer features sharp cuts, violence, and plenty of genre blending, with American west visuals interspersed with a 1970's funk soundtrack.

'Django Unchained' is likely to feature prominently in next year's awards season, though it will face stiff competition from the likes of Ang Lee's 'Life of Pi', Wes Anderson's 'Moonrise Kingdom', and TOM HOOPER's adaptation of 'Les Miserables'.