So, in theory, the trailer for The Oxford Murders hit the web a few months ago; but unless you were fluent in Spanish, there was not a lot you were going to get out of it. Stale Popcorn has finally gotten their hands on the international trailer, and now we actually get a sense of what the hell is going on. The Oxford Murders is based on the novel of the same name by Argentinian author Guillermo Martínez. The book was published in 2003, and was a best-seller that went on to be published into over fifteen languages.

The Oxford Murders stars John Hurt and Elijah Wood as a professor and a graduate student who become involved in solving a series of gruesome murders at the legendary university. Through the course of their investigations, they discover that the murderer is committing his crimes on principles of mathematical theories. So of course, the only way to stop the murders is to figure out the 'equations' before the killer strikes again. I guess you could consider it kind of like The Da Vinci Code, but with way more trigonometry.

Álex de la Iglesia wrote and directed the adaptation. The film has already been slated for release in Spain (where it opened on January 18th), Argentina, France, and Italy. Unfortunately, The Oxford Murders has yet to find a U.S distributor or release date in North America. Until then, Elijah Wood fans will just have to get their fix elsewhere. So keep your fingers crossed that the Iggy Pop movie gets made, or hold out for the possibility of just a little more Frodo after all.

It's not easy to escape the pitfalls of typecasting when you are part of one of the biggest movie trilogies in history -- if you don't believe me, just ask Mark Hamill. So, it is pretty impressive that Elijah Wood has managed to pick a pretty wide variety of roles post-Rings. From a sadist in Sin City to a talking penguin in Happy Feet, Wood is careful to choose only those parts that are a long way from his turn in the Shire.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Wood will next star in The Oxford Murders, the English language debut of Spanish helmer Alex de la Iglesia. The film is a departure from Iglesia's usual style of black comedy, but the director seemed confident in his choice of Wood in the lead when he cryptically stated: "I'm delighted to work with Elijah, who undoubtedly has the most powerful eyes in the industry and who is perfect for the part." As we previously told you, the film follows a young student (Wood) who attends the acclaimed English university, but becomes increasingly involved in an unsolved murder committed on campus. And, in a Da Vinci Code-style of whodunit, the murders appear to be linked by a mathematical code. Also starring is John Hurt as a Sherlock Holmes-style investigator who takes Wood's character under his wing. The Oxford Murders will begin shooting this January on location in England.

[via JoBlo.com]