Watch: Roland Emmerich Drops Trailer for TIFF Premiere “Anonymous”

A director like Roland Emmerich rarely registers as a blip of indieWIRE’s radar, but we couldn’t ignore the new trailer for “Anonymous,” which promises to be something of a departure for the undisputed king of the apocalyptical blockbuster (“Independence Day,” “2012”). Either that or it’s his misguided attempt to get some art house credentials.

This time around, he’s doing an Elizabethan period piece with an ensemble of great actors, including David Thewlis, Vanessa Redgrave and Edward Hogg. One essential factor stays the same for Emmerich though. It’s a conspiracy thriller that asks us to suspend our disbelief and common sense. Get this: It’s a feature film about the critically-ignored theory that Shakespeare didn’t actually write his plays. Cue the eye-roll.

If high collars, grunt-filled sword duels, bodice-ripping and Vanessa Redgrave in nutty wigs are your thing, you can see the film when it holds its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival this September. Otherwise, you should take a look at the trailer so you know what you’re in for.