Paramount Pictures has debuted what it's calling "an announcement video" for director J.J. Abrams' Stark Trek Into Darkness, with the promise of a teaser on Dec. 17. Clocking in at more than a minute, the "announcement" has all the markings of a trailer: ominous Inception-like music, threatening voiceover from Benedict Cumberbatch as the film's mysterious villain, explosions, shots of most of the cast looking anguished or in jeopardy, an what appears to be the Enterprise emerging from the ocean. Yeah, that last part is pretty cool.

We're left knowing just as much about the movie as we did last week, when the synopsis was released, but it's a vast improvement from Abrams' three-frame sneak peek, or Zachary Quinto's "preview." Now begins the countdown to Dec. 17 ... oh, and May 17.

Watch the "announcement video" below, or visit Apple.com to view it in HD. Star Trek Into Darkness stars Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin, John Cho, Bruce Greenwood, Benedict Cumberbatch and Peter Weller.

In Summer 2013, pioneering director J.J. Abrams will deliver an explosive action thriller that takes Star Trek Into Darkness.

When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis.

With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction.

As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew.