Alex Garland, the writer of Dredd, 28 Days Later and director of Ex Machina, is currently finishing his next film, Annihilation. It’s based on the famous sci-fi novel of the same name by Jeff VanderMeer and though it’s not expected to hit theatres until next year, a few behind-the-scenes photos show the movie is going to be seriously beautiful.
Most of the images come from the film’s cinematographer, Rob Hardy, who has been quietly posting them on his Instagram until The Film Stage found them.
Annihilation stars Natalie Portman, Gina Rodriguez, Tessa Thompson and Jennifer Jason Leigh as members of the 12th expedition into a mysteriously cut-off area of the planet called Area X. It’s a surrealist, alien landscape that has been baffling the world for a while, and now this expedition of scientists hopes to uncover its mysteries.
These photos are not from the movie itself — they’re more inspirations, landscapes, and between scene moments. But from them, you see that the setting for the film is unmistakably lush, while Garland’s visual palette is the polar opposite of the cold Ex Machina. Here are just a few more: