Carey Mulligan Juggles Suitors in New 'Madding Crowd' Trailer

Based on Thomas Hardy’s classic 1874 novel, Far From the Madding Crowd stars Carey Mulligan as the headstrong Bathsheba Everdene (a role also played by Julie Christie in 1967), who famously captures the hearts of three very different men.

As seen in the above exclusive trailer, suitor No. 1 is Gabriel Oak, played by Matthias Schoenaerts (Rust and Bone), a sheepherder. Lucky bachelor No. 2 is Frank Troy, played by Tom Sturridge (On the Road). He’s a military man. Lastly, there’s William Boldwood, played by Michael Sheen (HBO’s Masters of Sex), the eldest and richest of the bunch.

This epic love square first launches when Everdene inherits her uncle’s vast farm — the start of her journey into relationships as well as some of life’s greatest hardships.

Directed by Danish filmmaker Thomas Vinterberg, whose 2013 drama The Hunt was nominated for a foreign-language film Oscar, Madding Crowd enters theaters May 1.