Watch: Allied trailer shows Brad Pitt-Marion Cotillard on a mission in 1940s Africa

Whether or not the timings was deliberate remains a matter of conjecture. The fact is, however, that the trailer of Allied — the romantic thriller starring Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard — was released online by paramount Pictures on 20 September. Right in the midst of news that Angelina Jolie had filed for divorce from her partner of 12 years (and husband of two) Brad Pitt. Even as speculation flew fast and thick, rumours that Pitt had an affair with his Allied co-star gained ground. So much did the talk grow that Cotillard took to Instagram on Wednesday, 21 September, to quickly dismiss the reports. She announced that she was expecting her second child with longtime partner (the actor-screenwriter-director) Guillame Canet and only wished Angelina and Brad “peace in this tumultuous time”. [caption id=“attachment_3016186” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  This image released by Paramount Pictures shows Marion Cotillard, left, and Brad Pitt in a scene from, ‘Allied’, in theaters on 23 November. (Daniel Smith/Paramount Pictures via AP)[/caption] It is unlikely, however, that Allied will escape the intense scrutiny it is now destined for. Allied tells the story of intelligence officer Max Vatan (Pitt), who in 1942 North Africa encounters French Resistance fighter Marianne Beausejour (Cotillard) on a deadly mission behind enemy lines. Reunited in London, their relationship is threatened by the extreme pressures of the war. Another description for the film states that Pitt and Cotillard’s characters are assassins who fall in love and get married, only to find out later that one of them is a double agent who must be eliminated. Parallels with Pitt’s 2005 film with Jolie — Mr and Mrs Smith — in which they played married assassins who are given the task of killing each other , are already being drawn. Incidentally, it was while working on the film that Jolie and Pitt’s relationship started. Coming back to Allied, the Robert Zemeckis directed film does seem wonderfully stylised and we can’t wait for the full length theatrical trailer that will reveal a little more of the plot. In the meantime, here’s the minute-long teaser: