If it wasn’t for Chinese box-office returns, Duncan Jones‘ break into big-budget spectacle might have been for naught, career-wise, but Warcraft could prove a worthwhile exertion for whatever role it ultimately played in getting his passion project, Mute, off the ground. (We happened to enjoy the fantasy picture more than most, anyway.) Almost a year after Paul Rudd and Alexander Skarsgård joined its cast and not long after Netflix announced its handling of distribution, the picture’s started shooting — and, per Variety, has added Justin Theroux in an undisclosed role.
Details on his involvement will remain mum for now, though we’ve known for some time that Mute is set in Berlin circa 2052 and concerns Leo Beiler (Skarsgård), a mute bartender caught in a noir-esque, Blade Runner-inspired plot as he searches for a missing girlfriend. Two American surgeons (one is played by Rudd; can we assume Theroux fills the second part?) are “the only recurring clue.” There’s also a cameo from Sam Rockwell, who seems to reprise his role — or, let’s say, one of his roles — from Moon, with which this film shares a universe.
All of this is exciting stuff, provided you’ve already taken to Jones’ sci-fi efforts. As one who has, the possibility of a 2017 release makes Mute one of next year’s more curious offerings.
Meanwhile, Shane Black has found the star of his still-mysterious Predator reboot, simply titled The Predator. Benicio Del Toro has reportedly expressed interest, but, following scheduling troubles, the main slot’s gone to Boyd Holbrook of Narcos, Gone Girl, Morgan, and next year’s Logan, i.e. the third Wolverine. Other than its status as both a sequel and “soft reboot,” which is itself just about nothing, the picture remains, much like its villainous extraterrestrial, cloaked in mystery. [THR]
But with a February 9, 2018 release date set, we should hear more before long.