After portraying several different characters in his previous film Cloud Atlas (2012), Tom Hanks is back to serious acting mode with his upcoming thriller Captain Phillips.

Directed by Paul Greengrass (United 93, The Bourne Ultimatum), the tense-looking film has released its official trailer.

Based on the real accounts of Captain Richard Phillips, it dramatises the traumatic experience endured by him and his crew on the US MV Maersk Alabama as they found themselves being taken hostage by Somali pirates in 2009. It was the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in over 200 years.

Two time Oscar-winner Hanks (Forrest Gump, Saving Private Ryan) plays the role of the endangered Phillips with support coming from Catherine Keener (Being John Malkovich, Capote) and newcomer Barkhad Abdi.

The film is set for release in the UK on October 11th.