Russell Crowe’s powerful Nazi commander is on trial in the first trailer for Nuremberg. Written and directed by James Vanderbilt, the upcoming courtroom drama chronicles the historic Nuremberg trials, which were conducted by the Allied powers to prosecute the defeated Nazi leadership in Germany after World War II. The film focuses specifically on Adolf Hitler’s right-hand man, Hermann Göring.

The film features a star-studded cast that includes Oscar winner Russell Crowe (Gladiator), Oscar winner Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody), The White Lotus season 2 star Leo Woodall, two-time Oscar nominee Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road, Nocturnal Animals), Oscar nominee Richard E. Grant (Can You Ever Forgive Me?), Emmy nominee Colin Hanks (Fargo), four-time Emmy nominee John Slattery (Mad Men), and many more.

Now, Sony Pictures Classics has released the first official teaser trailer for Nuremberg. It begins in a secret military prison that houses what’s left of the Nazi high command, including former Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring (Russell Crowe). There, the prison’s chief psychiatrist, Douglas Kelley (Rami Malek), is tasked with interviewing Göring to determine if he’s fit to stand trial.

Meanwhile, the Allies’ determined chief prosecutor, Robert H. Jackson (Michael Shannon), who is committed to holding the Nazi regime accountable for the atrocities of the Holocaust, decides to put Hermann Göring on the stand to testify. Watch the trailer below:

What The Nuremberg Trailer Means For The Movie

It’s A Battle Of Wits Between Hermann Göring & Douglas Kelley

Though there have been many movies dramatizing the Nuremberg trials over the years, the upcoming film takes a unique approach to tackling the historic event. It’s based on the 2013 non-fiction book The Nazi and the Psychiatrist by Jack El-Hai, and focuses mainly on Nuremberg Prison’s chief psychiatrist, Douglas Kelley, as he interviews Nazi prisoners to determine if they are fit to face trial.

During the process, Douglas Kelley finds himself in a complex battle of wits with Hermann Göring, who was quite capable of being superficially charming and manipulative when he wanted to be. Of course, Göring, who held the highest military rank in Nazi Germany’s armed forces during World War II, was quite instrumental in orchestrating the atrocities of the Holocaust.

Our Take On The Nuremberg Trailer

An Oscar Contender Incoming?

Nuremberg has all the makings of an Oscar contender – a prestige cast, a November release date, and a weighty historical premise. Its cast should definitely garner some attention, as Russell Crowe and Rami Malek are both Oscar winners, and Michael Shannon and Richard E. Grant have both been nominated. The only question mark is its writer-director, James Vanderbilt, who doesn’t have much of an Oscar pedigree.

Source: Sony Pictures Classics