Colin Firth loses himself sailing around the globe in The Mercy trailer

In 1968, amateur sailor Donald Crowhurst set out to compete in the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race, a single-handed, round-the-world yacht race. Hoping to save his failing business with the cash prize, Crowhurst left his wife and children behind and began the race with an unfinished boat. After encountering difficulty early on in his voyage, Crowhurtst secretly abandoned the race and reported false positions while he remained in the South Atlantic. James Marsh's (THE THEORY OF EVERYTHING) upcoming biopic THE MERCY will bring this tragic tale to life, and the recent trailer for the film certainly looks suitably impressive, if not a tad melodramatic, complete with a great cast consisting of Colin Firth, Rachel Weisz, David Thewlis, and Ken Stott.

The official synopsis for THE MERCY:

Following his Academy Award® nominated film The Theory of Everything, James Marsh directs the incredible true story of Donald Crowhurst (Colin Firth), an amateur sailor who competed in the 1968 Sunday Times Golden Globe Race in the hope of becoming the first person in history to single-handedly circumnavigate the globe without stopping. With an unfinished boat and his business and house on the line, Donald leaves his wife, Clare (Rachel Weisz) and their children behind, hesitantly embarking on an adventure on his boat the Teignmouth Electron.

Co-starring David Thewlis and Ken Stott, and produced by Blueprint Pictures, the story of Crowhurst’s dangerous solo voyage and the struggles he confronted on the epic journey while his wife Clare and their family awaited his return is one of the most enduring mysteries of recent times.

THE MERCY will hit theaters on February 9, 2018 in the U.K.