In the last several years, Sam Mendes has showcased his talent as a visionary filmmaker with his work on the recent James Bond flicks Skyfall (2012) and Spectre (2015).

The Oscar-winning director of American Beauty (2000) and Road to Perdition (2002) is hoping for more success on the action front with his next project; the war drama 1917.

Featuring a strong all-star cast, the film’s tense trailer has just been released and can be watched below:

Set during the climax of World War I, the plot follows two young British soldiers as they are presented with a challenging task that involves crossing enemy territory and delivering a message that will stop a deadly attack on 1600 men.

George MacKay (Pride, Captain Fantastic) and Dean-Charles Chapman (Game of Thrones, Breathe) play the two leads alongside a fantastic male cast which includes Oscar-winner Colin Firth (The King’s Speech, Mary Poppins Returns), Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange, Patrick Melrose), Richard Madden (Bodyguard, Rocketman), Andrew Scott (Sherlock, Spectre), Mark Strong (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Kingsman: The Golden Circle), Daniel Mays (Mrs Biggs, Line of Duty) and Adrian Scarborough (Cranford, Killing Eve).

Cited as a future awards contender, 1917 will be released in the UK on 10 January 2020.