Today is National Face Your Fears Day, a day created to help people overcome the challenges in their lives and conquer them. Focus Features is celebrating this day with a trailer for their highly-anticipated live-action/CGI animated hybrid A Monster Calls with new footage. This movie was originally set to hit theaters next weekend, but it was moved into the Oscar-friendly holiday release date of December 23, which could give this adventure a big push through awards season.

A Monster Calls is a visually spectacular drama from director J.A. Bayona (The Impossible). 12-year-old Conor (Lewis MacDougall), dealing with his mother's (Felicity Jones) illness, a less-than-sympathetic grandmother (Sigourney Weaver), and bullying classmates, finds a most unlikely ally when a Monster appears at his bedroom window. Ancient, wild, and relentless, the Monster guides Conor on a journey of courage, faith, and truth.

Liam Neeson provides the voice of the Monster, with a supporting cast that also includes Toby Kebbell, Geraldine Chaplin, Ben Moor, James Chaplin and Jennifer Lin. Juan Antonio Bayona directs from a script by author Patrick Ness, who adapted his own novel, which is based on an original idea by the late Siobhan Dowd. Published in almost 30 languages, the novel has won many prestigious prizes worldwide, including the distinguished Carnegie Medal and, for illustrator Jim Kay, the Kate Greenaway Medal.

Belén Atienza is producing, marking her third collaboaration with Bayona, following The Impossible and his directorial debut, The Orphanage. Executive producers include Participant's Jeff Skoll and Jonathan King, along with River Road's Bill Pohlad and Mitch Horwits. Production on this fantasy adaptation got under way last September, with principal photography taking place in Spain and England.

Focus Features's adaptation will hit theaters on December 23, in the midst of a hectic holiday release schedule. A Monster Calls will go up against Silence and The Wasted Times on December 23, with Passengers, Assassin's Creed and Sing opening two days earlier on December 21. There are also three more movies, Gold, Fences and Why Him?, hitting theaters two days later on Christmas Day. Take a look at the new trailer for A Monster Calls to get ready for this highly-anticipated release.