Several months since landing the Best Actor Oscar for his magnificent portrayal of Stephen Hawking, Eddie Redmayne is looking to follow in the footsteps of Tom Hanks by retaining his accolade at next year’s ceremony.

The Les Miserables and The Theory of Everything star is tackling an even riskier role in his next film as he undergoes a new look for the upcoming biopic drama The Danish Girl.

Cited as an early award contender, the film has premiered its official trailer online.

Directed by Oscar-winner Tom Hooper (The King’s Speech, Les Miserables), the film explores how artist Einar Wegener (Redmayne) agreed to pose as a woman in a painting done by his wife Gerda. But after growing comfortable in female clothing, he would become one of the first people to undergo a transgender operation, while also complicating his marriage to Gerda.

The period drama features a solid support cast including the prolific Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina, The Man from U.N.C.L.E) as Gerda as well as Amber Heard (Pineapple Express, The Rum Diary), Matthias Schoenaerts (Rust and Bone, Suite Francaise) and Ben Whishaw (Skyfall, Paddington).

The Danish Girl will be released in the UK on New Year’s Day 2016.