Netflix has announced a release date for Duncan Jones‘ original science fiction thriller ‘Mute’– Friday, February 23, 2018.
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.
Jones completed his first draft of ‘Mute’ way back in 2003, intending for it to be his first film. He sent it to Sam Rockwell, who fell in love with the script and wanted to star as Leo, the part that is now played by Skarsgård. Instead, Jones penned another movie, his acclaimed ‘Moon’, specifically for Rockwell. (Rockwell does appear in ‘Mute’ but as a different character, Sam Bell.) ‘Moon’ and ‘Mute’ are part of a planned “spiritual” trilogy. The third film will be called ‘Wax’ and according to Jones, focuses on two sisters. Perhaps if ‘Mute’ does well on Netflix, ‘Wax’ could be on its way soon.
Below, you can see a barely recognizable Justin Theroux, whose character is named Duck Teddington.
Paul Rudd plays his partner “Cactus Bill.”
And here, you can vaguely make out Skarsgård, as the film’s protagonist Leo Beiler.
The film is set in Berlin, 40 years in the future. In Jones’ original treatment, the film was set in modern day London. At one point, when it didn’t seem as though ‘Mute’ would ever get made as a movie, Jones collaborated with artist Glenn Fabry to turn it into a graphic novel instead, but it was never completed.
The cast of ‘Mute’ also includes Nikki Lamborn, Ulf Hermann, Florence Kasumba, Gilbert Owuor, Daniel Fathers, Noel Clarke, Robert Sheehan and Anja Karmanski.
Check out ‘Mute’ when it becomes available on Netflix on February 23.
Source: Collider
