Hugh Jackman Is a Nervous Gary Hart in the Trailer for The Front Runner

Just how many films have used Nina Simone’s “Sinnerman” to great effect, over the years? Well, at least 20, if Wikipedia is to be believed, perhaps most famously in the climax of The Thomas Crown Affair. But you can add another to the list in the trailer for the upcoming political dramedy The Front Runner.

Directed by Jason Reitman of Juno and Up in the Air, The Front Runner is the story of ill-fated 1988 Democratic presidential hopeful Gary Hart, who was seen as the obvious choice for the party’s nomination until the revelation of an extramarital affair hit the front pages of newspapers nationwide. If you’re now thinking something along the lines of “Well, why did that stop him, our current president brags regularly about his extramarital affairs,” we can only note that in 1988, such things still mattered to voters.

Hart is being played here by a now 49-year-old Hugh Jackman, who has finally set his Wolverine role aside and seems to be gently sidling into more dramatic performances, ‘ala last year’s The Greatest Showman. He’s joined by a pretty stellar supporting cast, including Reitman regulars Vera Farmiga and J.K. Simmons, along with Alfred Molina. We look forward to watching J.K. Simmons swearing his way through an increasingly sticky situation as Hart’s campaign manager in particular.

The Front Runner premieres at the Telluride Film Festival in September, but hits theaters in wide release on Nov. 7, 2018—which just so happens to be election day, if you weren’t aware. Check out the trailer below.