Exclusive: Watch the First 7 Minutes of FX’s ‘Fargo’ Now

If you’re a fan of the Coen brothers’ Oscar-winning 1996 film “Fargo,” you may think you know what to expect from the new FX miniseries, “Fargo” (debuting April 15). But having seen the pilot, we can tell you it’s a bit different than what you might be picturing. And we’ve got an exclusive first look at exactly how different it is.

Above, we have a special sneak peek of the first seven minutes of the “Fargo” pilot, which introduces us to a new set of characters but is very much in the spirit (and climate) of the Coens’ classic.

[Video: 'Fargo' Trailer: Blood, Guns, and Minnesota Accents (But No Wood-Chipper)]

The clip opens with mysterious hitman Lorne Malvo (Billy Bob Thornton) driving along a lonely snow-covered road… and ignoring a persistent knocking coming from his trunk. And when he swerves off the road after hitting a deer, we learn exactly what he’s hiding in that trunk…

Then we meet Lester Nygaard (Martin Freeman), a downtrodden life-insurance salesman who’s a dead ringer for William H. Macy’s Jerry Lundegaard from the original “Fargo”; he’s reminded by his unhappy wife how he doesn’t measure up to his more accomplished brother: “Guess I married the wrong Nygaard.” (But it’s Minnesota, ya know, so she’s awful nice about it.)

[Related: Is FX’s New ‘Fargo’ Worth Investigating? You Betcha!]

Plus, in a scene reminiscent of “Fargo’s” classic “TruCoat” moment, we see Lester trying to sell a young husband and his pregnant wife on a life-insurance policy they don’t need, and failing miserably. They walk out on his sales pitch — politely, of course. Could life get any worse for this schlub? We assure you, it could. And it will.

What do you think of the first seven minutes? Are you ready to take another trip north to “Fargo”?

"Fargo" premieres Tuesday, April 15 at 10 p.m. on FX.