Kristen Stewart is set to star alongside Viggo Mortensen and Léa Seydoux in David Cronenberg’s new sci-fi thriller, Crimes of the Future, a “deep dive into the not-so-distant future” that revolves around a performance artist famed for growing new organs in his body.

The film marks the acclaimed director’s first feature-length film since 2014’s Robert Pattinson-starring Maps to the Stars, and is also based on his first original sci-fi script since 1999’s eXistenZ. 

Crimes of the Future will see humanity learning to adapt to its synthetic surroundings, explains a press release. “This evolution moves humans beyond their natural state and into a metamorphosis, altering their biological makeup. While some embrace the limitless potential of transhumanism, others attempt to police it.”

The performance artist Saul Tenser is, seemingly, among the former group, and “has embraced Accelerated Evolution Syndrome, sprouting new and unexpected organs in his body”. 

Alongside his partner Caprice, Tenser entertains his loyal followers with the removal of these organs in real-time theatre (plenty of opportunity for Cronenbergian body horror, then). “With both the government and a strange subculture taking note,” the press release goes on, “Tenser is forced to consider what would be his most shocking performance of all.”

In a statement, the director — who released an identically-titled film back in 1970 — simply says: “I have unfinished business with the future.”

Crimes of the Future is backed by Neon, and is set to begin filming in Greece this coming August. The release date is set for 2022.