Reacher and Blue Mountain State star Alan Ritchson is taking on a movie role fans haven’t seen him in before with Motor City. A first look at the movie was released ahead of its Venice Film Festival debut in Toronto. Ritchson stars alongside Shailene Woodley, Ben Foster, and Pablo Schreiber in a nearly dialogue-free movie, with the film having a total of only five lines.
Directed by Potsy Ponciroli, Motor City takes place in 1970s Detroit, following John Miller (Ritchson), a working-class mechanic who falls in love with the girlfriend of a local gangster. In retaliation, the gangster frames Miller, leading to his imprisonment. Upon his release, Miller sets out on a relentless quest to enact his revenge on the people who put him behind bars.
The first-look footage of the movie, shared by Variety, shows Ritchson as his character sporting shaggy blonde hair prevalent of the era. He’s seen struggling against two police officers, and trying to break free before they take him down to the ground. Woodley appears as the female lead, watching from a car in distress at what’s happening. The scene ends with the police finding, what can be assumed, packets of illegal drugs from Miller’s car.
With a nearly dialogue-free movie, Motor City is expected to have an impressive soundtrack. It includes artists like Bill Withers, Donna Summer, and more, with the footage having “The Chain” by Fleetwood Mac.
Actor Ben Foster told Vairety, “This is not a silent film. There are about five lines of dialogue. If we think about what makes us human, it’s behaviour and how we behave with each other. So it was a fun challenge to tell a story without telling the story in a traditional manner. We were able to relate physically as actors.”
Ritchson not only stars in Motor City, but is one of its producers, with Ritchson telling Variety, “It was like, if I come on board, I want to put my fingerprint on it. I think I know how to do this. In fact, I think I know how to do this better than anybody. I know how to make action better than anybody. It’s what I like.”
The actor calls the movie “unique” and “It’s a super-unique and super-artistic film. Obviously it’s a huge choice to not rely on dialogue, but I want this to be commercial, I want everybody to enjoy this and it not just to be for a tiny niche audience. And I think we did it.”
Motor City is scheduled to have its world premiere on August 30, 2025, at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival. Details on a theatrical release have not been confirmed.
