Watch Steve Carell in new Foxcatcher trailer

The actor takes on his first serious role in the biographical drama

Steve Carell and Channing Tatum in Foxcatcher (YouTube)

A new trailer has been released for forthcoming Oscar-tipped film Foxcatcher.

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Directed by Oscar-nominated Bennett Miller, whose past credits include Capote and Moneyball, the biographical drama is based on the true story of Olympic wrestler Mark Schultz.

In what is his first serious role, Steve Carell plays eccentric millionaire John du Pont, whose bid to train Olympic standard wrestlers sets off a chain of unlikely events that ultimately end in tragedy.

Channing Tatum and Mark Ruffalo star alongside Carell as wrestling brothers Mark and David Schultz.

The trailer depicts the initial meeting between Du Pont and Mark at the former’s sprawling mansion, before showing scenes from their increasingly complex relationship. Ominous music plays throughout as a forewarning of what is to come.

Carell, known for his comic roles in Anchorman and The 40-year-old Virgin, revealed that his creepy look for the film was so effective that his cast mates would avoid him on set.

"The prosthetics influenced my performance more than I anticipated. Once all that make-up went on, people reacted and responded to me differently," he said, ahead of the film's premiere at the BFI London Film Festival.

"He [Du Pont] did have a very specific way of talking and a certain demeanour, and he has a specific look as well. I think just his demeanour was very off-putting to many people.

"People naturally wanted to be separate from me. I was off-putting (to them). So organically I stayed in character because I didn't really have any choice - no-one wanted to talk to me."

Foxcatcher will be released in UK cinemas on 9 January 2015.