An adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's Nineteenth century novel widely considered to be amongst the finest novels ever written, Anna Karenina star Knightley as the title character, a Russian aristocrat who abandons her marriage to Alexei Karenina, a high-ranking government official played by Jude Law, in the midst of a passionate affair with a younger count played by Aaron Johnson.  It's a big story of love, loyalty, passion, infidelity, paranoia, and whatnot, all set against the backdrop of an opulent, bygone high society.

After changing things up with last year's delirious actioner Hanna, Wright's back in time, and he's going whole hog on the source material, playing it at an appropriately fever pitch and ladling on the visual grandiosity.  Just check out those transitions, when a set suddenly opens onto a completely different and equally pretty environment.

The trailer is here via MSN UK.

As if the combination of Wright and Knightley didn't guarantee a proper prestige picture, the screenplay is written by illustrious playwright Tom Stoppard, the Oscar-winner whose cinematic credits include Shakespeare in Love, Brazil, Empire of the Sun, and, most importantly, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, which he also directed.

With Knightley, Law, and Johnson leading the cast, there are also plenty of dramatic ringers filling out the supporting roles, including Olivia Williams, Kelly Macdonald, Matthew Macfadyen, Ruth Wilson, Domhnall Gleeson, Emily Watson, and Michelle Dockery.

Anna Karenina will reach theaters in the United Kingdom on September 7th, but Stateside audiences will have to wait until November 9th.

Here's the aforementioned poster, with a tip of the hat to Glamour UK.