The target of much discussion and speculation over the past week, the trailer for the new JJ Abrams directed film Super 8 has finally hit the web thanks to Apple.

You can click through the link above for high-quality downloadable Quicktime versions, but this same copy has been uploaded to YouTube, thanks to a fine user on everyone’s favorite video site.

I wanted to wait until a non-cam version of the trailer hit the web before writing up this post, as I wanted a clear version of it, so no inaccurate speculation can be had.

Here’s what we know about Super 8 so far.

• This is the JJ Abrams/Steven Spielberg collaboration.
• This is not related to Cloverfield, which stands to reason as Cloverfield was a project of Matt Reeves (Let Me In), Abrams just produced.
• Apparently, the film relates to Area 51.
• The film is set in the year 1979.
• It's due Summer 2011, and not a single frame has been filmed yet - this teaser was filmed while Abrams was working on a television pilot, a series titled Undercovers.

I suppose it’s about aliens, and I guess one is escaping at the end of the trailer, but what’s the deal with the dude in the truck?

JJ Abrams has hit the very rare level where just his name on a project connected to a trailer with next to no substance has people excited.  People were talking about this trailer being the next 1-18-08/Cloverfield (myself included), but that trailer set a definite tone and you immediately knew what the film would be (a first person POV version of a Godzilla film)…in the case of this trailer, the mystery remains.

I, of course, will be keeping an eye on this project, but I’m hoping this isn’t a bunch of hype for nothing.