Comic-Con 2011: The Raven trailer swoops in

the raven

The first trailer for John Cusack’s moody Edgar Allan Poe movie The Raven aired exclusively at Comic-Con today.

A dramatic, atmospheric collection of clips, the trailer establishes the film’s premise (it follows the last five days of Poe’s life) and promises a movie that’s as gothic as it is grisly.

“It’s an art movie and a popcorn movie all at once,” Cusack said during the flick's panel discussion.

What sort of footage did we get to see? Well, ravens swopping through foggy streets… A body in a chimney... A woman’s head severed by a razor… A watch in a dead broad’s mouth…

“This crime is familiar to me,” says Luke Evans, before accusing Poe of murder because a death is similar to one from his stories. “Do you actually think that I murdered these people?” Poe demands.

The trailer was a very promising first look at the film, and The Raven looks to be every bit a gothic treat. Director James McTeigue’s description of the film as containing “a little bit of Misery , a little bit of Seven ” seems entirely apt.