FilmDistrict has released the first red-band trailer for director Spike Lee’s remake of Oldboy. For those unfamiliar with the story, it centers on a man (Josh Brolin) who is kidnapped for mysterious reasons, and is released twenty years later with no explanation. Once free, he goes on a mission to find his captor and take revenge. Lee’s fingerprints are all over this trailer, and the film looks to have a rather sinister tone despite its gorgeous cinematography courtesy of Sean Bobbitt. There are a couple of interesting deviations from Park Chan-wook‘s original film that are glimpsed, but there are also a few moments that are shot-for-shot recreations from the 2003 South Korean thriller. Samuel L. Jackson is a welcome presence towards the end of the trailer, and it’s clear that Lee has no intention of toning down any of the story’s violence. This is promising stuff indeed, and I’m really looking forward to checking out the full film in a couple of months.

Hit the jump to watch the red-band trailer. The film also stars Elizabeth Olsen, Sharlto Copley, Lance Reddick, Michael Imperioli, and James Ransone. Oldboy opens on October 25th.

Here’s the official synopsis for Oldboy: