Liam Neeson in ‘A Walk Among The Tombstones’

The first trailer has released for Universal’s adaptation of Lawrence Block’s best-selling thriller novel of the same name, A Walk Among The Tombstones. Helmed by writer/director Scott Frank, the picture stars action thriller superstar Liam Neeson who appears to be stepping up his game for this one and digging deeper into his bag of skills.

The story centers around a former NYPD cop turned unlicensed private eye Matthew Scudder (Neeson) recruited by a drug trafficker to hunt down the men who murdered the drug trafficker’s wife.

Unmistakable from the trailer is the gritty dark feel of the picture. This film clearly proposes to be much darker and scarier than the Taken trilogy. Unlike in Taken, Neeson’s targets appear to be waiting for him in the darkness. As the film’s title suggests, Scudder must venture deep into the shadows to expose his prey, and he’ll need all his experience to help him survive the hunt.

Scott Frank has a strong background in edgy dark thrillers; most notably, he penned the scripts for Steven Soderbergh’s Out Of Sight, Steven Spielberg’s Minority Report, the late Sydney Pollack’s The Interpreter, and most recently the latest Wolverine movie directed by James Mangold. Franks directorial debut, 2007’s The Lookout was well-received by many critics. Based on Frank’s experience along with Neeson in the starring role, viewers might expect a solid picture.

Here’s to hoping the film will exceed our expectations when it bows in theaters Sept 19. Neeson is currently filming Taken 3 due in theaters January 2015.