Anna Kendrick Is A 'Shape-Shifter' In Video For LCD Soundsystem's 'Pow Pow'

The video for LCD Soundsystem's heady, sultry "Pow Pow" which premieres on MTV.com at 5 p.m. ET on Thursday (November 4), has all the makings of a cinematic epic, including an Oscar-nominated actress brightening up the screen and a Hollywood vet running things behind the camera.

"Up in the Air" starlet Anna Kendrick vamps it up as the video's mysterious protagonist, and she's surrounded by a crush of beefy bodyguards. Director David Ayer conceded that the concept is a bit cerebral.

"This video's a little far out, a little esoteric," Ayer told. "In this world, Anna's sort of this shape-shifter, I guess you could say."

Ayer further explained that the message of the clip, which is a joint effort between MTV and Mean magazine, is about remaining humble, regardless of how pumped-up one's celebrity status might get.

"No matter how big you are, how important you are in this temporal world of ours, there's somebody more important," he said. "You have to answer for your sins, and that's a little bit of what this video is about. And the person who sort of represents the power in this video isn't, like, some hardcore gangster guy, but little old Anna Kendrick kinda being her shy self."

Ayer was looking for a super-chill, accessible star for the video, and he found one in Kendrick.

"She is, like, down to earth, salt of the earth and just a rock star," Ayer gushed. "As far as her talent and her abilities, she's the real deal."

Ayer is something of a Hollywood rock star himself, with screenplays for flicks such as "Training Day" and "The Fast and the Furious" under his belt. And he was amped to be a part of the project.

"I feel pretty honored that [LCD Soundsystem is] allowing me to kind of take this wonderful song of theirs — kind of a flagship song, I think — and marry it to some great images," he said.

Watch the "Pow Pow" video when it premieres on Thursday (November 4) at 5 p.m. ET on MTV.com, then let us know what you think in the comments.