'The Raven:' John Cusack's Edgar Allan Poe Becomes a Private Investgator (VIDEO)

Relativity Media premiered a new TV spot Monday for The Raven, director James McTeigue's forthcoming horror-themed murder mystery set in the time of Edgar Allan Poe. John Cusack (Hot Tub Time Machine) plays the iconic writer, who is recruited by the authorities to uncover the identity of a killer whose victims are dispatched according to scenarios in Poe's work.

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The new clip sets up the film, in which a police inspector (Luke Evans, Immortals) solicits the writer’s help. "Edgar Allen Poe, we are in need of your unwholesome expertise," he says. The remaining footage showcases the elaborate murder scenes, which evoke various Poe stories, including The Pit and the Pendulum and The Fall of the House of Usher.

The Raven is McTeigue's first film since Ninja Assassin, and the clip highlights his earlier work as the director of V for Vendetta. Cusack's previous film The Factory was little-seen by audiences, but it too explores a serial-killer story.

Check out the clip below, which premiered at the website io9.com. The Raven opens nationwide April 27, 2012.