Upcoming Edgar Allen Poe mystery/thriller The Raven looks intriguing, as we get a peek at the first official image released by Relativity Media. John Cusack stars as the tortured Poe, who joins forces with a detective to hunt down a serial killer in this James McTeigue-directed pic. The Raven comes out next year on March 9, 2012.
The photo shows a very costumed and intense Cusack as the famous writer/poet Edgar Allen Poe, and suggests a great period piece backdrop to what will no doubt be a macabre tale (much like Poe’s literary works).
The Raven is set in 19th century Baltimore, and tells the story of a serial killer using Poe’s own works as a basis for his murders. Consequently, Poe teams up with a young detective to track down the killer. It sounds like screenwriters Ben Livingston and Hannah Shakespeare have taken some liberty with history, though perhaps have tried to stay close to the real literary figure of Poe, who was quite tortured and very interested in gothic horror and the macabre.
This film does look intriguing, though we haven’t seen any trailers for it yet. Besides a great cast that includes Cusack, Luke Evans (Immortals), Alice Eve (Sex and the City 2), and Brendan Gleeson (28 Days Later), The Raven is directed by McTeigue. Though he’s only directed a few films, McTeigue did helm the dark, dystopian V for Vendetta. If anything, that film proves he can handle intense subject matter and that he can also build some great atmosphere behind sleek action.
Cusack made a name for himself as a teen heartthrob in angsty ‘80s pics like Say Anything and Better off Dead. He’s consistently been in films throughout the last couple decades, but really met with some critical acclaim as an actor after he starred in quirky fantasy Being John Malkovich and indie-feeling High Fidelity in the ‘90s. Lately he hasn’t been in anything that’s excited me, cinematically, but this dramatic role certainly represents an opportunity to flex his acting muscles.
What do you think?
