Sony Screen Gems has released the first official trailer for director Scott Stewart’s post-apocalyptic-vampire-frightener Priest. British actor Paul Bettany (Legion) headlines the film as a man of the cloth out to slay the bloodsuckers that have abducted his 18-year-old niece.

Say two Hail Marys and take a look:

The official synopsis reads:

Priest is set in a world ravaged by centuries of war between man and vampires. Paul Bettany is Priest, a legendary warrior priest during the last Vampire War, who now lives in obscurity among the other human inhabitants in walled-in dystopian cities controlled by the Church.

But when his 18-year-old niece is abducted by a murderous pack of vampires in the desolate wastelands outside, Priest breaks his sacred vows and ventures out to find her and seek vengeance upon those responsible, especially their brutal leader (Karl Urban).

Priest is joined on his crusade by his niece’s boyfriend, Hicks (Cam Gigandet), a local outpost sheriff, and Priestess (Maggie Q), a member of his former legion of vampire-killers who has otherworldly fighting skills.

As a Catholic school survivor, I curled up into the fetal position and clenched my ass cheeks tightly when I first heard Sony Screen Gems was developing a horror film entitled Priest. Some topics are just too personal. But, now that I see it’s just another vampire movie, I can go back to living my normal life again. Hmm. I wonder if the the local altar boys want to come over to see porn and take E. I should call them.

Priest costars Maggie Q (“Nikita”), Karl Urban (And Soon the Darkness), Brad Dourif (Chain Letter), Christopher Plummer (Cold Creek Manor), Mädchen Amick (“Twin Peaks”), Cam Gigandet (The Roommate), Alan Dale (“LOST”) and Stephen Moyer (“True Blood”).

Say your prayers on May 13, 2011.

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