Billy Crystal is not playing a funny little guy in Apple TV Plus' Before trailer

Warning, folks: you’re about to see Billy Crystal “as you’ve never seen him before.” Typically when you hear Crystal’s voice—in a rom-com, or a beloved animated children’s film, or on the Oscars stage—it comes with the relief of knowing you’re in good hands for a chuckle or two. Not so in the Before trailer from Apple TV+. Crystal is not joking around in this series, which premieres on October 25. This time he has to solve a supernatural mystery, and he’s dead serious about it.

This is not to say Crystal is incapable of pathos; we’ve seen him exercise dramatic skill before in lighter fare. Still, it’s a surprise to see him in a show that looks a little bit like a 30 Rock parody of a prestige thriller. But Crystal must’ve really wanted to try something new, because he’s executive producing the project alongside showrunner Sarah Thorp (Damien, The Bounty Hunter), and they brought it to the streamer that carries the highest number of fake-sounding shows, Apple TV+. The Saturday Night Live alum stars as “Eli, a child psychiatrist who, after recently losing his wife, Lynn (Judith Light), encounters a troubled young boy, Noah (Jacobii Jupe), who seems to have a haunting connection to Eli’s past. As Eli attempts to help Noah, their mysterious bond deepens.”

Crystal’s signature warmth is still present in the Before trailer, even if it’s a bit bewildering to see him in this spooky environment. He’s being haunted by visions of his deceased wife and a mysterious farmhouse, which inexplicably also appears to a disturbed young boy who shows up on his doorstep. (Jacobi Jupe, who plays Noah, is the brother of Noah Jupe of A Quiet Place.) There’s blood and ghosts and creepy kid drawings and a flash of Crystal yelling in anguish. It’s true, we’ve never seen him like this before. Apple TV+, you better take care of national treasure Billy Crystal! The series also stars Rosie Perez, Maria Dizzia, and Ava Lalezarzadeh.