When we first heard about Movie 43 last year (it was supposed to have been released this past spring but got delayed), we expected something along the lines of the recent string of star-studded ensemble rom-coms like Valentine's Day or New Year's Eve. What we didn't expect (and we doubt very many people did) was the raunchy, taboo-pushing, all-around (hilariously) inappropriate film we see today in the Movie 43 red-band trailer.

Even though the trailer doesn't exactly spell it out, the film will consist of intertwining comedic vignettes featuring the characters we've seen (plus others yet unseen) that ultimately converge in some kind of way. So far we have a couple of parents with an unusual approach to home-schooling; various characters preparing for some kind of a faux Comic-Con; a company working on some kind of sex doll/robot thing; a riff on inspirational African-American sports films, and smaller bits featuring odd-pair couples in various comedic situations.

We'll also get quite the eclectic mix of comedic and/or dramatic actors, including Emma Stone, Gerard Butler, Hugh Jackman, Elizabeth Banks, Anna Faris, Kate Winslet, Richard Gere, Uma Thurman, Seann William Scott, Chris Pratt, Justin Long, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Josh Duhamel, Liev Schreiber, Kate Bosworth, Johnny Knoxville, Jason Sudeikis, Leslie Bibb, Bobby Cannavale, Kieran Culkin, Jack McBrayer, Halle Berry, Stephen Merchant, Chloe Moretz, Terrence Howard and more.

Even more interesting than the extensive cast or multi-faceted narrative are the directors behind the film: Famous names like James Gunn (Gurdians of the Galaxy) and Peter Farrelly (Three Stooges) you may recognize for their previous works - while names like Brett Ratner will probably put some people off.

Some of the other directors, though, will surely be of interest to fans: These include Bob Odenkirk (Saul Goodman on Breaking Bad); Rusty Cundieff (Fear of a Black HatChapelle's Show); Griffin Dunne (Practical Magic, Fierce People); Steve Carr (Next FridayPaul Blart: Mall Cop); Steven Brill (Little Nicky, Without a Paddle), and even comedic actress Elizabeth Banks (The Hunger Games) directing a segment. Looking over that list, it's clear that we're going to get a wide range of comedy from some very familiar sources; there should be a style of laughter for just about any and everyone included in that mix.

Color us pleasantly surprised for Movie 43; the film hits theaters on January 25, 2013, and will hopefully help to thaw out the winter freeze.

Source: Relativity Media