Daniel Radcliffe Goes Undercover As a Neo-Nazi in Intense 'Imperium' Trailer

By
Lionsgate

Daniel Radcliffe is going undercover in his terrifying new thriller, Imperium.

The former Harry Potter star, whose recent roles in Now You See Me 2 and Swiss Army Man have been relatively fun and comedic, is delving into much darker territory in the upcoming film, in which his character, an FBI agent, goes undercover as a racist skinhead to infiltrate a group of white supremacists suspected of planning a terror attack with a dirty bomb.

WATCH: Daniel Radcliffe Shaved His Head and Now Nothing Will Ever Be the Same

If the trailer is any indication, this could be the 26-year-old actor's most harrowing film to date.

PHOTOS: Just In -- Hollywood's Hottest Movie Posters

In this suspenseful, moody glimpse at the intense drama, Radcliffe shaves his head bald, reads up on his racist rhetoric and even gets some unsavory tattoos to pose as a neo-Nazi terrorist, and it soon becomes clear that he is in way over his head.

The film, which is based on real events, was co-written by former FBI agent Michael German, who actually spent years undercover documenting the actions of a neo-Nazi group.

WATCH: Daniel Radcliffe Says He’s Going to See 'Fantastic Beasts' in Disguise

With the gritty realism of American History X and the undercover tension of The Departed, Radcliffe's new thriller looks like it could be one of the scariest movies of the summer.

Imperium, co-starring Toni Collette, Nestor Carbonell and Sam Trammell, hits theaters August 19.

Recently, Radcliffe spoke with ET about his bizarre comedy Swiss Army Man, alongside his co-star, Paul Dano. Check out the hilarious interview below.

Related Gallery