Paramount have released an abbreviated announcement trailer in anticipation for its new movie “Star Trek Into Darkness”. The trailer features Benedict Cumberbatch, best known for playing the title character on the British show “Sherlock”, playing villain Khan.

The teaser opens with scenes of destruction and Cumberbatch’s voice over says, “You think your world is safe? It is an illusion. A comforting lie told to protect you. Enjoy these final moments of peace, for I have returned to have my vengeance.”

The full trailer for “Star Trek Into Darkness” comes out December 17.

In the meantime, an announcement teaser has a bit extra footage and dialogue. Over footage of Kirk and Spock touching hands through a glass plane, Cumberbatch asks, “Is there anything you wouldn’t do for your family?” Star Trek fans may recall Spock’s death scene in “Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan” and the teaser clip may foreshadow events in the upcoming movie.

According to the official plot of the film reported on Huffington Post, the starship Enterprise is called back home. In their return they encounter “an unstoppable force of terror within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis.” Captain Kirk has a personal score to settle and leads a manhunt to find a one man weapon of mass destruction.

Cumberpatch told BBC America that he was drawn to the role of the Star Trek villain because of the character’s complexity. He said, “this is the appeal of J.J.’s works and I felt challenged as an actor.” Cumberbatch is a fan of the 2009 Star Trek film and predicts that the sequel will have a “far bigger” scale.

Chris Pine will again play Captain Kirk and Zachary Quinto will return to play Mr. Spock.The film also stars Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, and John Cho. “Star Trek Into Darkness” is directed by J.J. Abrams and set for a May 17, 2013 release.

Watch the announcement trailer here.