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New Synopsis Emerges For Wally Pfister’s Transcendence

Though Johnny Depp recently announced that he may consider retiring within the next few years, that doesn't mean he'll be disappearing from screens anytime soon. He'll next appear in Wally Pfister's directorial debut, Transcendence, set to hit theaters on April 18, 2014.

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Though Johnny Depp recently announced that he may consider retiring within the next few years, that doesn’t mean he’ll be disappearing from screens anytime soon. He’ll next appear in Wally Pfister’s directorial debut, Transcendence, set to hit theaters on April 18, 2014.

Depp will star as scientist Will Caster, with Rebecca Hall playing his wife and Paul Bettany set to play another scientist. Morgan Freeman, Kate Mara, and Cillian Murphy will all appear in unspecified roles. The film was previously announced to revolve around the ideas of Technological Singularity (or superintelligence created through technological means, for us non-geniuses) and two scientists fighting against an anti-technology organization.

Very little was known about the project up until this point, but now Warner Bros. has unveiled an official synopsis for the Christopher Nolan-produced film, which generates more questions than it answers:

“Will Caster, forefather of A.I., has his consciousness uploaded onto the internet.

Once there, is it really Will who is interacting with humanity in order to make things better, or a darker sinister clone bent on the termination of the world as we know it?”

Whether this will be a heady brain-bender in the vein of Inception, a Tron-esque action-adventure, or a philosophical sci-fi drama closer to 2001: A Space Odyssey remains to be seen, but it’s safe to say that Transcendence is one to watch, regardless of which direction the film takes.

I, for one, am very intrigued by Transcendence. Pfister was the director of photography for Nolan’s Batman trilogy, and I’m excited to see more of the evocative shots that made those movies so interesting to watch. Plus, Johnny Depp is an undeniably talented actor, and it will be refreshing to see him in a movie that relies on his acting talents more than his ability to disappear into a clownish character (see: The Lone RangerAlice in Wonderland, and Pirates of the Caribbean), which is becoming increasingly tiresome with each subsequent film. He isn’t the first actor who comes to mind for this kind of high-concept sci-fi thriller, but perhaps that’s a good thing, and maybe Transcendence will give the star a chance to revitalize his career and avoid being pigeon-holed as a “quirky” actor.

We’d love to hear your thoughts about Transcendence thus far. Is Johnny Depp worn out as a star, or is he still worth watching after all these years? Has the complex premise peaked your interest? Or does Christopher Nolan’s name on it mean you’ll buy a ticket anyway, no matter what plot details emerge (or is that just me)?