The first images fromMoonandSource CodefilmmakerDuncan Jones’ new filmMutehave arrived, and they are a far cry from his most recent featureWarcraft. Indeed, Jones made his blockbuster debut with the video game adaptation this summer to somewhat mixed results (hey, I kinda liked it okay?), but his next film is one he’s been developing for a very long time. The sci-fi thriller takes place in the year 2052 in Berlin and starsAlexander Skarsgardas a mute bartender who lost the ability to speak after a childhood accident. When his girlfriend (Seyneb Saleh) suddenly disappears, he sets out “on a noir-ish quest to find her, diving deep into the city’s seedy, neon underworld.”Paul RuddandJustin Therouxco-star as a pair of American surgeons who serve as Skarsgard’s only clue.
Neon and noir are definitely the key words that come to mind when looking at these images, and the film looks to be visually in the realm of something likeBlade Runner. Jones reunites with hisMooncinematographerGary Shawfor the first time since that feature, and indeedMuteis intended to serve as the second film in a proposed trilogy that began withMoon. So yes,Mutetakes place in the same universe asMoon.
Jones has more than proven his talent with his previous features, and whileWarcraftfailed to connect in the way Jones and Universal were hoping, Jones was toying around with a lot of fascinating ideas in that film, and one can only imagine how exciting his proposed sequel would have been.
For now, though,Mutelooks fantastic, and is certainly one of our most anticipated films of the year. Check out the first images below, via Netflix.Muteis set to be released on Netflix sometime this year.
Here’s the official synopsis forMute:
Set in the near-future, Leo (Alexander Skarsgård) is a bartender living in the pulsing city of Berlin. Because of a childhood accident, Leo lost the ability to speak and the only good thing in his life is his beautiful girlfriend Naadirah (Seyneb Saleh). When she vanishes without a trace, Leo’s search for her takes him deep into the city’s seedy underbelly. A pair of wise-cracking American surgeons (Paul Rudd and Justin Theroux) are the only recurring clue and Leo is forced to take on this teeming underworld in order to find his love.
The Netflix original film is directed by Duncan Jones and written by Jones and Michael Robert Johnson. Stuart Fenegan serves as producer and Charles J.D. Schissel and Trevor Beattie serve as executive producers. The film will launch in all territories where Netflix is available in 2017.
