Ah, Aardman, those comic geniuses from way out West (only not as West as Hollywood). The latest trailer for Pirates! In An Adventure With Scientists gives us a few more clues about the plot, and by our rough count about seventy bajillion more gags, both visual and aural.

Hugh Grant voices the Pirate Captain - seen here meeting the dastardly Queen Victoria (Imelda Staunton) who is Not Amused - who leads his merry but less-than-totally-competent band of bucanneers around the seas in search of treasure and, preferably, the Pirate Of The Year award (modelled in this trailer by Brian Blessed's Pirate King). Things, it's fair to say, do not go entirely to plan.

The cast also includes David Tennant, Brendan Gleeson, Salma Hayek, Jeremy Piven, Martin Freeman, Ashley Jensen, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and Russell Tovey. It's all based on the first two of Gideon Defoe's Pirates! books, and directed by Aardman stalwart Peter Lord with co-director Jeff Newitt. 

You can read more from Lord himself on the film in the guest blogs he's written for us here and here. The film's out on March 28 next year, and we'll be following all the developments between now and then. This is some seriously funny stuff and, it almost goes without saying, gorgeous animation.