After years of anticipation, Alan Ritchson is finally getting bloody, brutal, and almost completely silent in Motor City, his ambitious 1970s-era action film set to make its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. Ambitious might be an understatement — the movie reportedly contains just five lines of dialogue across its entire runtime, leaving the action to do all the talking, and TIFF has just released an image of a long-haired Ritchson looking imposing and brutal.

Directed by Potsy Ponciroli (Old Henry, Super Zeroes), Motor City stars Ritchson as John Miller, “a Detroit man released from prison, who unleashes a rampage of brutal vengeance on those who framed him,” according to TIFF’s official description. The Detroit-set thriller promises immersive visual storytelling and “stunningly choreographed and stylized action sequences” in a grimy, crime-ridden 1970s landscape.

The cast is stacked, with Shailene Woodley, Ben Foster, and Pablo Schreiber joining Ritchson, alongside Ben McKenzie, Zoë Kravitz, and Natasha McElhone in roles still under wraps. The screenplay comes from Chad St. John— all four or five lines of it, depending on who you ask.

What’s ‘Motor City’ About?

Foster, speaking to Collider’s Perri Nemiroff at TIFF 2024, revealed just how unconventional the film is: “The film itself, Motor City — we just wrapped — is virtually a silent film. 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.”

McKenzie recently told Collider’s Maggie Lovitt there was a “major surprise” musician involved — now confirmed to be White — adding to the project’s Motor City authenticity. Foster also praised Ritchson’s physicality and ambition: “He’s very tall and very muscular, and he’s very handsome. 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, described the film as “somewhere between an opera, a music video, and an action movie.” He added: “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.”

With its stripped-down dialogue, stylized cinematography, and rock-fueled soundtrack, Motor City could redefine what a modern action movie looks and sounds like. The film roars into TIFF before hitting the festival circuit — and if the buzz is right, audiences can expect a high-octane, blood-soaked ride that speaks volumes without saying much at all.