A new trailer for Johnny Depp's film Transcendence was revealed two months ahead of its April 17 release.

The sci-fi film marks the directorial debut of cinematographer Wally Pfister.

Depp portrays Dr. Will Caster, who is an artificial intelligence scientist and researcher, and Rebecca Hall plays Evelyn Caster, his wife and fellow researcher.

The clip starts on an optimistic note, with Caster and his wife walking down the impeccable halls of their futuristic laboratory and propagating the immense power of artificial intelligence and mankind's need to tap into it. "It's analytical power will be greater than the collective intelligence of every person born in the history of the world," Caster says at a conference.

The trailer catches pace as an anti-technology terrorist group called RIFT -- Revolutionalry Independence From Technology -- attacks artificial intelligence labs and also shoots Caster. As Caster's mortal form starts to give way, his consciousness is uploaded onto an operating system, and the process is called transcendence. With this new manifestation the image of Depp's face is seen deciphered in code as he lives on in a machine, but his intentions seem devious.

Morgan Freeman, who plays an AI collaborator seems dismissive of the actions -- which are seen wreaking havoc and disaster -- Caster takes and warns Evelyn: "If we don't stop him, it will be the end of mankind as we know it."

The film also stars Paul Bettany, Kate Mara and Cilian Murphy.

Alcon and DMG Entertainment are producing and financing the project. Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas are executive producers on the film. Other producers incude Broderick Johnson, Andrew Kosove, Kate Cohen, Marisa Polvino, Annie Marter, David Valdes and Aaron Ryder.

Watch the trailer here: