In the years since his graduation from Hogwarts, Daniel Radcliffe has played famous poets, literary classics, and, perhaps most transformatively, a talking (and farting) corpse. He’s completed two seasons of a television series opposite Jon Hamm and led the revival of a classic Broadway musical. And for his next post-Potter act, the young actor is again hurtling toward a most unexpected place: the underbelly of white supremacism.
Leading a cast that includes veteran actors Toni Collette and Tracy Letts, Radcliffe stars in the upcoming film Imperium as Nate Foster, an idealistic FBI agent tasked to go undercover and take down a group of right-wing terrorists. As Nate is challenged to navigate this dark, complex underworld and expose its weaknesses, he struggles to maintain his fake identity and real principles at the same time.
The thriller, which hits theaters Aug. 19, marks the directorial debut of Daniel Ragussis, who based his screenplay on real events and was inspired by the recent surge in right-leaning extremism around the world. In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly, he confessed to being “stunned by the depth and the extent of this movement.” So whether you’re looking for sharp political critique, a work of demanding art or merely some quality time with Radcliffe while he mulls that Harry Potter return, it looks like there’s something here for everybody.
