Alan Ritchson might be best known for breaking bones and busting heads as Jack Reacher, but his next role may be his boldest yet. In a newly released image from Motor City, the rising action star looks battered, bruised, and bloody—right at home in the gritty underworld of 1970s Detroit. But it’s not just the physicality that has people talking: this movie barely has any dialogue. Yes, really. Director Potsy Ponciroli (Old Henry) took to Instagram to announce that Motor City—a “gorgeous action film set in ’70s Detroit… with only 4 lines of dialogue”—has officially been selected for the Venice Film Festival. The photo shows Ritchson, bloodied and intense, a far cry from his clean-cut Reacher persona.
“Today it’s official,” Ponciroli wrote. “We got into the Venice film fest! So many people gave so much time and creativity to this project and I can’t wait to celebrate with you!”
What Is ‘Motor City’ About?
Motor City is not your average revenge thriller. As co-star Ben Foster revealed during a conversation with Collider’s Perri Nemiroff at TIFF 2024, the film “contains five lines of dialogue.” That’s not a typo. Five. Lines.
“The film itself, Motor City — we just wrapped — is virtually a silent film,” Foster explained. “Jack White is helping with the music, so it’s like a rock disco revenge film. It’s like a graphic novel, so it’ll be interesting to see how that shakes out.”
White, a native of Detroit, is reportedly crafting a custom soundtrack to complement the film’s unique visual storytelling. With its non-verbal narrative, stylised cinematography, and immersive sound design, Motor City might just reinvent what a modern action movie can be.
Foster wasn’t shy about praising his co-star either. “He’s very tall and very muscular and he’s very handsome,” he joked, before getting serious. “He’s terrific as a mover. I think he wants to do some deeper work or rather different kinds of work than he’s been doing, and that’s a joy.”
Jon Berg, president of production at Stampede Ventures, called the movie “somewhere between an opera, a music video, and an action movie.” According to Berg, the film leans heavily on emotion and performance: “Emotion conveys without language being essential; the actors’ performances are front and center. Potsy has a killer vision for the film: dynamic camera, brilliant music, muscle cars, and an immersive sound design surrounding badass action sequences.”
In addition to Ritchson and Foster, the cast includes Ben McKenzie (Gotham), Zoë Kravitz, and Natasha McElhone, though their roles remain tightly under wraps. McKenzie recently teased to Collider’s Maggie Lovitt that a “major surprise” musician was helping out with the soundtrack—now confirmed to be Jack White.
via Collider