Mila-KunisSummer 2014 is already full of immensely anticipated blockbusters, and Jupiter Ascending is one of the few I’m most looking forward to, by far.

Coming off the back of co-directing Cloud Atlas with Tom Tykwer, Andy and Lana Wachowski have returned behind the camera to bring their long-awaited Jupiter Ascending to the big screen next year.

Production has officially begun here in Watford over at Warner Bros.’ Leavesen Studios. And the official press release, announcing that the film began shooting at the start of the month, brings with it the first synopsis:

Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis) was born under a night sky, with signs predicting that she was destined for great things.  Now grown, Jupiter dreams of the stars but wakes up to the cold reality of a job cleaning toilets and an endless run of bad breaks.  Only when Caine (Channing Tatum), a genetically engineered ex-military hunter, arrives on Earth to track her down does Jupiter begin to glimpse the fate that has been waiting for her all along—her genetic signature marks her as next in line for an extraordinary inheritance that could alter the balance of the cosmos.

With Mila Kunis and Channing Tatum leading the cast, this is already a must-see movie of the year for 2014.

The pair will be joined by a stellar ensemble, starring alongside Sean Bean, Eddie Redmayne, Douglas Booth, Tuppence Middleton, Doona Bae, James D’Arcy, and Tim Piggott-Smith.

The Wachowskis are directing from their own script. Early interviews with the siblings last year revealed that they have hopes for the film to feature a big visual idea that is akin to the revolutionary ‘bullet-time’, which was ushered into mainstream cinema in their first big blockbuster, The Matrix.

The film will remain in production here in the UK through June, and will then move to Chicago to complete shooting.

Jupiter Ascending has been set for release on July 25th, 2014, and we cannot wait for it to arrive. Here’s the full press release, which officially confirms cameras are rolling.

 

BURBANK, April 15, 2013 – Filming is underway on Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ “Jupiter Ascending,” an original science fiction epic adventure from filmmakers Lana and Andy Wachowski. Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis star in the film, which began shooting at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden on April 2, 2013.

From the streets of Chicago to far flung galaxies whirling through space, “Jupiter Ascending” was conceived and written by the Wachowskis, who are also directing. Award-winning producer Grant Hill, with whom the writer/directors have collaborated since “The Matrix” Trilogy, is producing the film together with the Wachowskis. Roberto Malerba and Bruce Berman are serving as executive producers.

Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis) was born under a night sky, with signs predicting that she was destined for great things. Now grown, Jupiter dreams of the stars but wakes up to the cold reality of a job cleaning toilets and an endless run of bad breaks. Only when Caine (Channing Tatum), a genetically engineered ex-military hunter, arrives on Earth to track her down does Jupiter begin to glimpse the fate that has been waiting for her all along—her genetic signature marks her as next in line for an extraordinary inheritance that could alter the balance of the cosmos.

Channing Tatum (“Magic Mike”) and Mila Kunis (“Oz the Great and Powerful”) lead an international cast that also includes Sean Bean (“The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy), Eddie Redmayne (“Les Misérables”), Douglas Booth (“LOL”), Tuppence Middleton (TV’s “The Lady Vanishes”), Doona Bae (“Cloud Atlas”), James D’Arcy (“Hitchcock”) and Tim Pigott-Smith (“Alice in Wonderland”).

Behind the scenes, “Jupiter Ascending” reunites the Wachowskis with their longstanding collaborators, who most recently worked with them on “Cloud Atlas.” They include Oscar®-winning cinematographer John Toll (“Braveheart,” “Legends of the Fall”); production designer Hugh Bateup; editor Alexander Berner; costume designer Kym Barrett; and makeup and hair designer Jeremy Woodhead. “Jupiter Ascending” will showcase the kind of cutting-edge visual effects that have become the benchmarks of the Wachowskis’ films. Dan Glass (“Batman Begins,” “Cloud Atlas”) is the film’s visual effects supervisor, a post he has occupied for the Wachowskis since “The Matrix” Trilogy. Additionally, John Gaeta, the visual effects Oscar® winner behind “The Matrix,” is contributing to the visual effects design.

The production will remain in the UK at the studios through June, at which time filming will move to Chicago for completion.

“Jupiter Ascending” will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures.