Things have been fairly quiet around Duncan Jones’ Mute (sorry, I had to) for some time now. The Moon and Source Code director, also known for last summer’s Warcraft, started production on his latest film late last September, a project he intended to make his first feature before the Sam Rockwell-led space drama. Now that film is finally happening and Netflix has a first look at the lead cast and gorgeous futuristic set design.

One photo has Alexander Skarsgard‘s Leo, a mute bartender, looking forlorn as he looks down at his phone, or some type of futuristic device, on the busy streets of Berlin. After Leo’s girlfriend (Seyneb Saleh) goes missing, he goes on a search for her through the city’s underbelly and runs into two surgeons. Two other photos introduce Paul Rudd and Justin Theroux’s “wise-cracking” surgeons. The former sports scrubs with a big ol’ handlebar mustache and martini, and The Leftovers star rocks a ‘70s style blonde wig and glasses (more of this please).

Mute
Netflix
loading...
Mute
Netflix
loading...

The new photos certainly highlight the film’s futuristic setting. The wet streets and beaming blue and purple neon lights give off a Blade Runner-like aesthetic, and also recall Netflix’s near-distant future episode of Black Mirror, “San Junipero.” The film’s previous synopsis detailed the movie was set in roughly 2057, but that’s been exchanged for “near-future” in the latest press release from Netflix. An earlier synopsis also described it as a “science-fiction Casablanca” where “East crashes against West.” That little tidbit has been removed from the latest synopsis:

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.

Mute is set to hit small screens via Netflix sometime later this year, but it’s unknown if the company plans to release it theatrically as well. Last year Skarsgard hinted Netflix would likely release Jones’ latest similarly to their Beast of No Nation, rolling it out simultaneously on small and select big screens. Stay tuned as more details, and hopefully more photos of Theroux with a goofy expression and wig, come in as we approach Mute‘s release.

More From Classic Rock 105.1