Robert Pattinson Finds Himself Under The Gun Again In 'The Rover'

After shocking fans in his first post-"Twilight" film, David Cronenberg's hallucinatory "Cosmopolis," Robert Pattinson isn't looking to sway back toward the mainstream quite yet.

Pattinson has once again found himself with a gun in his face in The Rover," an "existential" western set in the Australian outback of the near future, after a cataclysmic financial collapse. Entertainment Weekly just posted a first look at "The Rover," which also stars Guy Pearce, and the film already looks like another departure for the heartthrob.

"The Rover" comes from the mind of "Great Gatsby" star Joel Edgerton and his frequent collaborator David Michôd. The latter's previous effort, "Animal Kingdom," wowed the critics, launched Edgerton's now-blossoming career and earned Jacki Weaver her first Academy Award nomination. For this second feature, Michôd's bringing back Pearce to once again explore the darker side of his native Australia.

In the film, Pattinson plays Reynolds, a man searching for his stolen car and the important object he left inside it. Michôd spoke with EW about the tone of "The Rover" and how Reynolds fits into the world. "The basic story is really quite elemental." Michôd said. "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."

Michôd's description of Pattinson's and Pearce's characters couldn't seem more on-the-money when looking at the first image. In the still, a ferocious looking Pearce shoves a gun into the face of a bloodied and beaten Pattinson.

While "The Rover" is set in the near-future Australian outback, you shouldn't assume that Pattinson is starring in some alternative reboot of "Mad Max." "You put cars in the desert in Australia and people are going to think of 'Mad Max,' " Michôd said. "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."

Check out everything we've got on The Rover."