Two things are striking about the first teaser trailer of Steven Spielberg's forthcoming biopic of Abraham Lincoln: the first is that the role could have been played by Liam Neeson, the second is that Daniel Day Lewis looks so much like his famous subject that it's uncanny.

Years in the making Lincoln is already being spoken of as the big Oscar contender that no one knows anything about. But that's about to change.

According to the Huffington Post the first trailer for Lincoln is scheduled to set to debut on Thursday as part of a special Google Hangout presentation with Spielberg and co-star Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

Here's what we can tell from the teaser already: Lincoln looks like a somber epic. More than that it is impossible at this stage to tell.

Said Gordon-Levitt: 'Tony Kushner wrote the script - it's a really smart script. It's not just a feel-good bio pic. I mean it feels great, I think it feels better because it actually delves into something. It's not just patriotism and icon worship. It really examines him as a human being and all of his imperfections and both his virtues and his flaws.

It is a fascinating script. I can't wait to see it. It is such a brave take. Steven Spielberg, he's the biggest filmmaker in the world. There would be a lot pressure on him to make a more watered-down version of the story and I think it's so brave of him to have really done something provocative and interesting.'

The full trailer premieres on September 14, and Lincoln is set to hit theaters on November 9.