Under wraps since pre-production, details are slowly coming out for Terrence Malick‘s The Tree of Life. Fox Searchlight debuted the trailer late last year after announcing a May 2011 release date. We recently heard news from FX legend Douglas Trumbull (Blade Runner, 2001: A Space Odyssey), who is working on the film after a 27-year Hollywood break. Then, we got some runtime news and talk from composer Alexandre Desplat. Just a few days ago we got confirmation of dinosaurs and IMAX-rendered footage from the visual effects team. Now we’ve hit a goldmine of sorts.

Russian site Kinopoisk has released 72 new images from The Tree of Life. They aren’t official stills from the film, rather behind-the-scenes shots on production. We can see the crew in some of them, and they are refreshingly candid. Most of them feature Brad Pitt, Jessica Chastain, and family with a few of Sean Penn. There isn’t any of the universe/creation footage (or dinosaurs!) found here, but it gives us a glimpse at the shoot.

There have also been rumors swirling of The Tree of Life premiering at SXSW during a secret screening. Festival Publicity and Press head Rebecca Feferman has previously denied this claim and AICN confirms to expect something “vintage,” but we’ll keep you updated in the rare event it is indeed true. For now, check out the photos below and click for high-resolution.

Synopsis:

From Terrence Malick, the acclaimed director of such classic films as Badlands, Days of Heaven and The Thin Red Line, The Tree of Life is the impressionistic story of a Midwestern family in the 1950′s. The film follows the life journey of the eldest son, Jack, through the innocence of childhood to his disillusioned adult years as he tries to reconcile a complicated relationship with his father (Brad Pitt). Jack (played as an adult by Sean Penn) finds himself a lost soul in the modern world, seeking answers to the origins and meaning of life while questioning the existence of faith. Through Malick’s signature imagery, we see how both brute nature and spiritual grace shape not only our lives as individuals and families, but all life.

The Tree of Life stars Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, and Jessica Chastain. It will hit theaters May 27th, 2011.

What do you think of these photos?