Daniel Radcliffe is fighting to stay alive in the first trailer for the upcoming survival thriller Jungle. While his Harry Potter series counterpart Emma Watson has largely gone on to commercial fare like Beauty and the Beast following the worldwide success of the boy wizard film saga, Radcliffe has opted more for independent titles, with the occasional commercial role in such films as The Woman in Black and Now You See Me 2.

Following his daring indie role as a flatulent corpse in the drama/comedy Swiss Army Man last year, Radcliffe is very much alive in the trailer for Jungle, which is based on author Yossi Ginsberg's book Jungle: A Harrowing True Story of Survival in the Amazon. Radcliffe plays Ginsberg in the film, an Israeli backpacker whose trek from the Bolivian city of La Paz into the uncharted Amazon takes a dangerous turn - when Ginsberg and his two hiking counterparts are first abandoned by their guide and then separated from one another, leaving them with little means to survive through the ordeal.

Directed by The Belko Experiment and Wolf Creek helmer Greg McLean, the trailer for Jungle looks extremely promising, as intensity slowly builds throughout the 2 minute, 46 second preview. Not only is Ginsberg lost, he's forced to adapt to the elements and fend off its dangerous inhabitants - both animal and human - as his physical and mental well-being starts to slip.

Coming on the heels of his commitment to another indie film - the adrenaline-fueled action comedy Guns Akimbo - it's great to see Radcliffe taking on another small project, in favor of a formulaic role with a much bigger payday. Having already built an impressive resume on both film and the Broadway stage apart from his Harry Potter work, Radcliffe is clearly intent on the development of his craft as an actor, and not a movie star or celebrity.

Clearly Radcliffe is game for all different kinds of roles, from comedy (What If) and drama (Kill Your Darlings) to crime thrillers (Imperium) and horror (Horns), and playing a survivalist whose found himself in the most dire of situations in Jungle will no doubt stretch the actor's boundaries even further.

Given his past accomplishments, Radcliffe is no doubt a rarity in the business who is intent on looking forward to his career possibilities instead of peering back or worse yet, being stuck in his blockbuster past. And while the actor says he would consider playing Harry Potter again should the opportunity present itself, one thing he knows for certain that he would have no problem giving up the role to another actor should a rumored Harry Potter and Cursed Child movie be adapted from the stage play.

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Jungle is expected to reach U.S. theaters sometime this year.

Source: MIFF