Take A First Look At Matthew McConaughey In The Sea Of Trees

Production on Gus Van Sant’s latest epic, The Sea Of Trees, came to a close this week after a long shoot in both Japan and the U.S. To coincide with the end of principal photography, we’ve been offered at glimpse at the first official image from the completed film. Prepare thyself for dark, brooding kneeling.

This high quality version of an image leaked a few weeks earlier by EW shows a crouching, bloodied Matthew McConaughey. The shot also features co-star Ken Watanabe lurking in the background. It’s not much to go on, but judging by its synopsis, it’s hardly an action-packed pic:

Arthur Brennan (McConaughey) treks into Aokigahara, known as the The Sea of Trees, a mysterious dense forest at the base of Japan’s Mount Fuji where people go to contemplate life and death. Having found the perfect place to die, Arthur encounters Takumi Nakamura (Watanabe), a Japanese man who has also lost his way. The two men begin a journey of reflection and survival, which affirms Arthur’s will to live and reconnects him to his love with his wife (Naomi Watts).

It’s got an edge of the melancholic to it, that’ll no doubt be enhanced by Van Sant’s eye for the unusual. The film will also mark a continuation for McConaughey into the serious annals of Hollywood. It’s hard to believe that he’s the same actor who goofed it up repeatedly without his shirt on. The days of the formulaic romcoms are seemingly behind him now, after his Oscar win for Dallas Buyers Club.

Rounding out the cast for this one are Kate Aselton (The League, Black Rock) and Jordan Gavaris (Orphan Black). The screenplay was an original work penned by Chris Sparling, who also wrote the Ryan Reynolds claustro-thriller, Buried, and recent horror, ATM.

The Sea Of Trees is currently in post-production.