Russell Crowe and Ethan Hawke Face Greed, Survival, and Betrayal in the First Trailer for THE WEIGHT

If you're a fan of gritty period thrillers with high stakes and an incredible cast, The Weight looks like it could be one to keep an eye on.

The first trailer has arrived for the film, which throws Russell Croweand Ethan Hawke into a dangerous journey where trust may be the rarest commodity of all. The film marks the feature directorial debut of Padraic McKinley after premiering earlier this year at Sundance.

Set during the Great Depression, the story follows Samuel Murphy, a war veteran who has found himself locked away in a brutal prison camp. Murphy has more weighing on him than his prison sentence, though. His young daughter is about to lose the only family she has left.

Murphy pleads his case to the prison's warden, explaining: “In a month, she’ll be a ward of the state and up for adoption,” Murphy (Hawke) tells the warden (Crowe). “Even with good time, I’m in here six more months.”

The warden has an offer that could change everything. “I have a friend who needs a little help. I don’t trust any of these boys, but I trust you. You do this thing, your time is done.”

Of course, freedom isn't going to come easy. Murphy is sent on a dangerous mission to smuggle gold out of a remote mining operation. The precious cargo immediately paints a target on the group, as the trailer makes it clear that the gold brings out the worst in everyone around it. After all, it's described as "trouble," with plenty of "desperate folk" believing it "outta belong to them."

As the group ventures deeper into the wilderness, survival becomes about much more than avoiding the harsh terrain. Suspicion, greed, and betrayal begin tearing the prisoners apart from within, making every step of the mission even more dangerous.

The arrival of a woman who insists she's "as strong as any man here" only adds another layer of uncertainty to an already volatile situation.

Alongside Crowe and Hawke, the film features Julia Jones, Austin Amelio, Avi Nash, Sam Hazeldine, Avy Berry, George Burgess, and Lucas Lynggaard Tonnesen.

The screenplay was written by Matthew Booi and Shelby Gaines, based on a story by Booi, Leo Scherman, and Matthew Chapman.

The Weight was acquired by Vertical earlier this year following its Sundance debut, and based on this first trailer, it looks like audiences can expect a tense survival thriller packed with moral dilemmas, shifting alliances, and plenty of danger along the way.

The Weight opens in theaters on September 18.