Could The Foreigner be Jackie Chan’s darkest film yet?

Jackie Chan became one of the world’s most beloved movie stars because of his inimitable blend of action and comedy, which is on full display in such classic films as the Police Story series, the Drunken Master films, and Who Am I?. But Chan’s filmography contains several serious entries, like Crime Story, New Police Story, and Shinjuku Incident, and his next film looks like it could be his darkest yet. Here’s the official synopsis:

The Foreigner, starring Jackie Chan and Pierce Brosnan, is a timely action thriller from the director of Casino Royale. The film tells the story of humble London businessman Quan (Chan), whose long-buried past erupts in a revenge-fueled vendetta when the only person left for him to love — his teenage daughter — is taken from him in a senseless act of politically-motivated terrorism. In his relentless search for the identity of the terrorists, Quan is forced into a cat-and-mouse conflict with a British government official (Brosnan), whose own past may hold clues to the identities of the elusive killers.

Yes, The Foreigner looks a bit like Taken, with Chan replacing Liam Neeson as the avenging father with a “very particular set of skills.” But this is Jackie Chan we’re talking about here; he may be best known for bumbling and comedic roles, but he can do drama well when given the chance, and he’s looking particularly haggard and desperate here. As an added bonus, The Foreigner is directed by Martin Campbell, who brought a nice, visceral aesthetic back to the James Bond franchise with Casino Royale (and also directed the best Brosnan Bond film, GoldenEye).

In any case, The Foreigner looks like a nice, meaty film for Chan, who’s been slowing down over the years and has said in the past that he wants more challenging and less action-packed roles. Suffice to say, I have a lot more interest in this than many of Chan’s other “cross-over” movies. The Foreigner will be released in the U.S. on October 13.