‘The Forest’ Trailer: ‘Game of Thrones’ Star Natalie Dormer Sees Dead People

Thanks to her breakout part on Game of Thrones, we’ve been seeing a bit more of Natalie Dormer. In addition to her supporting role in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, the actress is striking out on her own with her first leading film role in The Forest. A new trailer for the upcoming horror film has arrived, which blends elements from both Japanese and American horror together for a seemingly intriguing ghost story.

Following in the footsteps of many great actors before her, Dormer’s first leading role is in a horror film, this one based on Japan’s notorious Aokigahara Forest, a place where many lonely people wander off to kill themselves. The forest is also the subject of Sea of Trees, the new Gus Van Sant film starring Matthew McConaughey, which didn’t exactly wow critics on the festival circuit this year. Hopefully Dormer’s film is a bit more impressive.

The Forest stars the actress as a woman who learns that her sister has gone missing in the eponymous, eerie forest at the base of Mt. Fuji, and sets off to try and find her — hopefully still alive and (mostly) well. Instead, she begins seeing spirits of the deceased, and they are not too pleased to meet her:

Rising with terrifying grandeur at the base of Mt. Fuji in Japan, the legendary real-life Aokigahara Forest is the suspense-filled setting of the supernatural thriller.  A young American woman, Sara (Natalie Dormer of “Game of Thrones” and “The Hunger Games”), journeys there in search of her twin sister, who has mysteriously disappeared. In the company of expatriate Aiden (Taylor Kinney of “Chicago Fire”), Sara enters the forest having been well warned to “stay on the path.” Determined to discover the truth about her sister’s fate, Sara will have to face the angry and tormented souls of the dead that prey on anyone who dares come near them. These malevolent spirits lying in wait for Sara at every turn will plunge her into a frightening darkness from which she must fight to save herself.

The Forest is the feature directorial debut from Jason Zada, who previously wrote the 2014 low-budget horror film The Houses October Built. His new film hits theaters on January 8, 2016.