Milla Jovovich and Tony Jaa are hard at work huntin' mons in writer-director Paul W.S. Anderson's upcoming picture, Monster Hunter. From Sony Pictures, the adaptation of the Capcom video game franchise introduces an original character into the mix and is changing up the lore quite a bit while also paying homage to the massively successful franchise. Jovovich stars as Lieutenant Natalie Artemis, a military leader who's transported to a primitive and dangerous world plagued by monsters. It's Jaa's unnamed character who's actually in the title role here, and they're both revealed in a brand new image.

In this first look, taken in South Africa's Atlantis Dunes, Jaa's Hunter carries a great sword known as a Giant Jawblade and also sports a Great Hunter's Bow. Artemis, meanwhile, has taken to the armed and armored fashion of this new world, wielding a pair of blades, a carving knife, and the previously revealed "Slinger." The image alone goes a long way towards trying to prove to fans that the movie is drawing inspiration from the game series and not completely reinventing everything from scratch.

Take a look at Jovovich and Jaa in Sony Pictures' first-look image from Monster Hunter:

Here's the official synopsis, courtesy of Screen Gems:

Behind our world, there is another: a world of dangerous and powerful monsters that rule their domain with deadly ferocity. When Lt. Artemis (Milla Jovovich) and her loyal soldiers are transported from our world to the new world, the unflappable lieutenant receives the shock of her life. In her desperate battle for survival against enormous enemies with incredible powers and unstoppable, revolting attacks, Artemis will team up with a mysterious man who has found a way to fight back.

In a chat with IGN, Anderson shared some details about the look of his characters:

"The beauty of the costumes and the landscapes from the Monster Hunter game really kind of came out in that image. [Artemis] is the game player, in a way, she is the audience’s avatar, their way into the world."

For example, Artemis’ chest piece is inspired by Monster Hunter World's Odogaron Mail, part of her mismatched armor set cobbled together from her adventures in the wilderness. The particular landscape shown off in this image is also inspired by the game, specifically the Wildspire Waste, just one of multiple game locations featured in the film.

We’re going into a much more rocky landscapes as well, we’re getting out of the desert and going much more rocky. There’s a chunk of the movie that’s actually set underground as well, in terrifying caves. There’s a more lush part of the movie, which kind of reflects the kind of lush, more jungle-y look of the Monster Hunter world. And then the climax of the movie takes place around a piece of the Ancient Civilization that’s, it’s kind of referenced many times in the Monster Hunter games.

 

The idea that there was this Ancient Civilization that existed in the deep parts, and which, when you’re playing the games, you sometimes kind of stumble upon the ruins of this civilization, an advanced civilization that brought about its own destruction. And one of those sets of ruins provides a big backdrop for the final act of the film. So it’s a pretty varied landscape. I mean, you’re not gonna get as many landscapes as you would if you spent fifty hours playing Monster Hunter World, but I think for a two-hour movie, you’re going to really go on an amazing journey with amazing visuals.

Monster Hunter also stars Meagan Good, T.I., Diego Boneta, and Ron Perlman and is likely due out in 2020.