Earlier today we got our first look at a crazy Matthew Fox in the James Patterson adaptation Alex Cross, but now we’ve got some images of Fox being somewhat normal-looking in director Peter Webber’s (Girl with a Pearl Earring) historical drama Emperor.  The film takes place during the days following the Japanese surrender at the end of World War II and stars Tommy Lee Jones as General Douglas MacArthur, the de facto ruler of Japan as Supreme Commander of the occupying forces.  Fox plays a leading Japanese expert on the staff of MacArthur who is tasked with deciding whether or not Emperor Hirohito should be tried and hanged as a war criminalThese first images and sales posters aren’t anything mind blowing, but it’s pretty cool to see Jones sporting McArthur’s ginormous pipe.  Hit the jump to take a look.Here’s the synopsis for Emperor:

Inspired by true events, EMPEROR is an epic story of love and understanding set amidst the tensions and uncertainties of the days immediately following the Japanese surrender at the end of World War II. On the staff of General Douglas MacArthur (Jones), the de facto ruler of Japan as Supreme Commander of the occupying forces, a leading Japanese expert, General Bonner Fellers (Fox) is charged with reaching a decision of historical importance: should Emperor Hirohito be tried and hanged as a war criminal?

Interwoven with this nail-biting political thriller is the story of Fellers’ love affair with Aya, a Japanese exchange student he had met years previously in the U.S. Memories of Aya and his quest to find her in the ravaged post-war landscape help Fellers to discover both his wisdom and his humanity and enable him to come to the momentous decision that changed the course of history and the future of two nations.

Images and posters The Film Stage: