Robert Pattinson And Guy Pearce Go Head To Head In ‘The Rover,’ First Look

For Robert Pattinson, staring down the barrel of a gun held by Guy Pearce in the sweltering heat of the South Australian desert while filming The Rover — is good times.

Fresh out of The Twilight Saga lock-up and looking to build on the — mostly — stunning notices he received for his role in David Cronenberg’s Cosmopolis, Pattinson is out to explore new acting frontiers.

Right now that means David Michod’s The Rover.

Entertainment Weekly has just posted a first look at Pattinson and Pearce, two of the main stars in the film and it’s intense to say the least.

Billed as an “existential western set in the Australian outback of the near future after a catclysmic financial message,” and coming from the same director that debuted with 2010’s unsettling Animal Kingdom, chances are The Rover is not a laugh a minute romp.

Directed and written by Michod and based on an idea co-conceived with Zero Dark Thirty, The Great Gatsby star, Joel Edgerton, The Rover also stars Scoot McNairy (Killing Them Softly, Argo), Susan Prior (Animal Kingdom), Gillian Jones (Oscar and Lucinda), Anthony Hayes (Burning Man), and David Field (Chopper).

Nutshelled, the plot follows Eric (Pearce) who is forced to pursue a dangerous criminal gang after they steal his last possession — his car — and something “priceless” contained in the car.

Along the way Eric enlists the help of Reynolds (Pattinson), the “naïve and injured junior member of the gang, who was left behind in the bloody chaos of the gang’s most recent robbery.”

Michôd spoke with EW about what audiences can expect from The Rover and Pearce and Pattinson’s roles.”The basic story is really quite elemental.” Michôd said, adding, “You’ve got a really dark, dangerous, murderous person in Guy’s character, and in Rob’s character you have a quite troubled and damaged, but beautiful and naïve, soul.”

If the talk of “catalysmic” and “futuristic” deserts brings up memories of Mad Max, Michod is keen to avoid the comparison.”You put cars in the desert in Australia and people are going to think of Mad Max,” he said. But added, “And with all due respect to that film — and I stress that — I think The Rover is going to be way more chillingly authentic and menacing.”

Fighting talk.

Are you eager to see Robert Pattinson and Guy Pearce face off in The Rover?