The death of actor Philip Seymour Hoffman has been mourned by the industry, but now we have the first trailer to Anton Corbijn’s German espionage thriller driving the point home once again: that guy was a really good actor.

The story sees Hoffman the leader of a covert spy unit in Germany working to make sure certain elements of society never have the chance to commit acts of terrorism. With plenty of present-day relevance, Hoffman looks like an “ends justify the means” sort who isn’t afraid to get his hands a little dirty. Opposing him are Rachel McAdams as an idealistic lawyer and Willem Dafoe, a banker who becomes involved with a young half-Chechen, half-Russian immigrant who falls under Hoffman’s watchful eye. Also prominently featured in the trailer is Robin Wright, sporting the same haircut from House of Cards, albeit in a different color, with what seems to be a similarly in-control character to match. She plays a U.S. ambassador.

The picture is being directed by Anton Corbijn, best known for the George Clooney-starring thriller The American. Corbijn’s a bit of a rising star; he’s presently shooting the James Dean biopic Life, starring Robert Pattinson and Dane DeHaan.

A Most Wanted Man made its debut earlier this year at Sundance to generally very positive reviews. It will be the second pic starring Hoffman to debut following his untimely death, bowing July 25. God’s Pocket, another Sundance selection, will be the first when it releases May 9.