“I will send you to hell!”

You know, I’m not quite sure The Raven is going to be an accurate bio pic of Edgar Allan Poe. The Se7en-esque murder mystery aside, why isn’t Poe acting like a big alcoholic in this portrait of his final days? Where’s the binge drinking? Where’s a mean drunk?

Sadly, an intoxicated John Cusack is nowhere to be found.

Overly nerdy quibbles aside, what is here in the first trailer for The Raven is a rather cool high-concept. Most of the buzz out of Comic-Con dismissed The Raven as another Sherlock Holmes, but that seems like an odd comparison. Tonally, it looks like James McTeigue (director behind the very good V for Vendetta and the not-so-good Ninja Assassin) is reaching for something a little more serious. With that atmospheric cinematography, it’s obvious he’s aiming to capture the dark and gothic feel of Poe’s writings. Despite the cliche trailer beats – which there are more than a few of – a fun thriller could easily be made with this concept and the talent involved. Plus, there’s no way this story will end well for Poe, if you know your history.

Take a glimpse at a far too sober-looking Edgar Allan Poe:

Source: Apple

The Raven opens in theaters on March 9th, 2012.

Update: Actually, according to McTeigue, Poe’s alcoholism will be a part of the film. [STYD]