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Terrence Malick Officially Announces Possibly SXSW-Inspired Movie Starring Patti Smith, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Iggy Pop, More

AUSTIN, TX - NOVEMBER 02: Director Terrence Malick filming his new movie during Fun Fun Fun Fest at Auditorium Shores on November 2, 2012 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Gary Miller/FilmMagic)

Following exactly a year after his Christian-Bale-centric, tortured-screenwriter-drama Knight of Cups, auteur director Terrence Malick (Tree of Life, Days of Heaven) is delivering a new film, with an unlikely presence and a giant, star-studded cast. It looks something like his answer to Robert Altman’s famed ensemble-cast music drama Nashville, but for the South by Southwest era.

Apparently titled Song to Song, Indiewire reports that the film will be a “modern love story set against the Austin, Texas music scene,” according to a press release. It features “two entangled couples — struggling songwriters Faye (Rooney Mara) and BV (Ryan Gosling), and music mogul Cook (Michael Fassbender) and the waitress whom he ensnares (Natalie Portman) — chase success through a rock ‘n’ roll landscape of seduction and betrayal.”

If you think that power couple casting is over-the-top, you won’t be prepared for the list of additional cameos and side roles from musicians. Here’s the full list we have at the moment: Patti Smith, Lykke Li, the Black Lips, Iggy Pop, Florence and the Machine, the Red Hot Chili Peppers. As per an interview with Michael Fassbender last month in the Times, John Lydon is also rumored to appear.

Previously, Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Benicio Del Toro, Boyd Holbrook, Val Kilmer, Bérénice Marlohe and Holly Hunter were rumored to be attached to the project, which prior to Indiewire’s report was known as Weightless and Lawless. Mara was spotted filming scenes for the movie at SXSW all the way back in 2012.

Here’s the first image from the film, which is set for a March 17 release date via Broad Green Pictures:

Terrence Malick Officially Announces Possibly SXSW-Inspired Movie Starring Patti Smith, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Iggy Pop, More

This should be something to see, indeed.