'All The Money In The World' Trailer: Kevin Spacey Transforms Into J. Paul Getty In Ridley Scott's Kidnapping Film

Ridley Scott has been hard at work, with two high-profile films released this year. While Alien: Covenant met with mixed reactions from fans of the beloved sci-fi franchise that he begat, All the Money in the World arrives with virtually no expectations from movie goers.

It's a wonder that this film wasn't on our radar sooner. Starring award-winning actors like Kevin Spacey, Michelle Williams, and Mark Wahlberg, and based on the real-life kidnapping of billionaire J. Paul Getty's grandson, it's the type of buzzy fare that will immediately get audience attention, if not awards attention. That's likely what the recently released trailer is aiming for.

Michelle Williams stars as the anguished mother of the kidnapped John Paul Getty III (Charlie Plummer) who is immediately met with a cold shoulder from her billionaire father-in-law when she pleads for him to pay the ransom. Unwilling to get his hands dirty with the kidnapping business, Getty (Spacey) sends his advisor (Wahlberg) to help out with the case. But the more they dawdle, the more brutal torture the kidnapped grandson goes through.

The notorious J. Paul Getty, who at the time in the '70s was one of the richest men in the world after founding the Getty Oil Company, remains a faceless figure for the majority of the trailer, until the final reveal of...Kevin Spacey with caked on facial prosthetics. The trailer feels like stop one in an obvious campaign for an Oscar for Spacey — though I could see Williams nab a nomination for taking on the oft-awarded long-suffering mother role — but acting with facial prosthetics is always a gamble. Spacey would deserve an Oscar just for realistically pulling off the makeup.

The movie is based on the true story of John Paul Getty III's kidnapping in 1973, for which his grandfather infamously refused to pay the ransom, declaring, "If I pay one penny now, I'll have 14 kidnapped grandchildren." Getty III would later become a drug addict to deal with the trauma of the kidnapping, which would leave him severely handicapped for the rest of his life.

Here's the synopsis for All the Money in the World below:

ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD follows the kidnapping of 16-year-old John Paul Getty III (Charlie Plummer) and the desperate attempt by his devoted mother Gail (Michelle Williams) to convince his billionaire grandfather (Kevin Spacey) to pay the ransom. When Getty Sr. refuses, Gail attempts to sway him as her son's captors become increasingly volatile and brutal. With her son's life in the balance, Gail and Getty's advisor (Mark Wahlberg) become unlikely allies in the race against time that ultimately reveals the true and lasting value of love over money.

All the Money in the World is set to hit theaters on December 8, 2017.