The latest trailer for Michael Mann’s Blackhat has debuted, starring Chris Hemsworth (The Avengers: Age of Ultron) and Viola Davis (Get On Up). The film revolves around the world of cyber terrorism, and follows a convict tasked by the government to lead a team to hunt down an international cyber-terrorist group.
The term “blackhat” is a common term in tech jargon meant to describe a specific type of hacker that only looks to penetrate security systems for financial gain or other malicious reasons. The film comes at a particularly relevant time in the entertainment industry, as more and more information leaks have crippled Sony Pictures in recent weeks, resulting in pirated films, embarrassing emails, and personal information of Sony employees.
The trailer captures Michael Mann’s (Heat) visual style through the sort of sleek grittiness that the filmmaker showcased in earlier films such as Miami Vice and Collateral. It also highlights the director’s ongoing fascination with international espionage, crime, and realistic action sequences.
Along with Blackhat, Chris Hemsworth has two other films being released in the first half of next year – he’s set to star in Ron Howard’s In the Heart of the Sea in March, and in the second installment of The Avengers in May.
Blackhat is written by newcomer Morgan Davis Foehl, with Mann co-writing. Universal Pictures will release the film on January 16, 2015.