After much delay, Bill Maher’s Religulous will finally make it to theaters October 3, 2008. The trailer is out and early reviews are giving the documentary high praise.

Maher, an avowed atheist, hits city streets in the film in an attempt to learn more of the true nature of religion. He converses with every day citizens, over-the-top zealots and many experts to talk about God - so fundamental to so many belief systems.

Already the media is talking about an Oscar nomination, some saying that Religulous is sure to get a nod in the documentary film category. According to Maher, the title of the film comes from the words “ridiculous” and “religious.”

Maher is not the only famous man to very openly and quite publicly poke fun at organized religions. Among other high-profile non-believers who have come and gone, famous storyteller Mark Twain likewise held no truck with churches - and talked about it. Twain, a.k.a. Samuel Clemens, died in 1910.

For the piece, Maher visited Jerusalem, the Vatican and Salt Lake City, among other locales. The trailer shows Maher doing what he does best - interviewing others. Often casual and always funny, Maher attempts to slowly strip away the layers of belief to discover what lurks within. The film’s release has already been delayed twice due to the writers’ strike earlier this year, but patrons will have to wait no longer than fall to view the controversial movie.

Which, all reviewers seem to agree, is sure to ruffle some feathers. If the Catholic Church can raise hell over pop flicks like The Golden Compass, you can bet Bill will get some bad PR from the film. But with Oscar talk already buzzing and Maher’s HBO celebrity working in his favor, he’s also sure to have a true hit on his hands.

Don’t believe me? Just check out the trailer - you’ll suddenly feel like October just can’t come soon enough: