As Harry Potter, Daniel Radcliffe fought all kinds of warlocks. But in the new thriller Imperium, he goes undercover to fight a very different type of wizard; the sort who leads white supremacists.

Radcliffe, so closely associated with Harry Potter’s floppy hairdo and warm smile, looks really striking as a skinhead, and those wounded, sad eyes really tell an entire story all on their own. Here’s the official plot synopsis for the film:

Nate Foster (Daniel Radcliffe), a young, idealistic FBI agent, goes undercover to take down a radical right-wing terrorist group. The bright up-and-coming analyst must confront the challenge of sticking to a new identity while maintaining his real principles as he navigates the dangerous underworld of white supremacy. Inspired by real events, Imperium stars Daniel Radcliffe, Toni Collette, Tracy Letts, with Nestor Carbonell, Burn Gorman and Sam Trammell and will be released by Lionsgate Premiere in theaters and On Demand August 19.

I really like this casting, and in general I give credit to Radcliffe for trying lots of different stuff in the post Harry Potter phase of his career. You can currently see him in multiplexes around the country in Now You See Me 2 poking fun at his magician image, or as a farting corpse in Swiss Army Man. Now he’s playing an undercover FBI agent among Nazis. The guy has some range. Hopefully he keeps this adventurous spirit moving forward through the rest of his career. Imperium opens in theaters and on VOD on August 19.

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