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Australia was founded as a repository for crooks and criminals — a wretched hive of scum and villainy, like the British Empire’s own Mos Eisley. Of course, that was a long time ago and the Australian national demeanor has since shifted from “kill or be killed” to “live and let live,” but David Michôd’s gritty 2010 drama Animal Kingdom chronicled some of the country’s more modern criminal descendents. In his upcoming sophomore effort, The Rover, the director takes things even further.

Robert Pattinson plays a denizen of the Outback in the near future, after a worldwide financial collapse has sent many like him running to the still viable mines of the Australian desert. “It’s like a new gold rush,” says Michôd. “Where people from all corners of the world have come out to the desert to scrape out an existence. Petty criminals and miscreants and hustlers.” Guy Pearce, who had an uncharacteristically reserved role in Animal Kingdom, gets to sink his teeth into a nicely nasty part opposite Pattinson. “The basic story is really quite elemental,” says Michôd. “You’ve got a really dark, dangerous, murderous person in Guy’s character, and in Rob’s character you have a quite troubled and damaged, but beautiful and naïve, soul.”

Of course, just by its setting and basic plot, The Rover is poised to draw comparisons to one of the antipodean country’s most memorable cinematic contributions. “You put cars in the desert in Australia and people are going to think of Mad Max,” says Michôd. “And with all due respect to that film — and I stress that — I think The Rover is going to be way more chillingly authentic and menacing.”

CinemaBlend: The Twilight series made Robert Pattinson a star, but also put the 26-year-old actor into a deep dreamboat hole that can threaten the longevity of an actor's career. So, taking a page from the smart pretty boys who came before him (Brad Pitt, Jude Law and Leonardo DiCaprio come to mind), he followed up his heartthrob role with something deeply indie, and niche-shatteringly deranged. David Cronenberg's Cosmopolis forced critics worn out by Twilight to reconsider Pattinson as he played a smarmy billionaire so numb he turns to self-destruction for salvation. And now, he's gearing up for a different version of grittiness in David Michôd's The Rover.

TheFilmStage: After proving his acting chops in last year’s twisted, overlooked David Cronenberg-directed drama Cosmopolis, Robert Pattinson is returning in 2013 with another highly-anticipated project,

ThePlaylist: We gotta admit, we sort of forgot this one was happening, but we have to say, we're glad it is...no word yet on a release date, but we'd wager 2014. Either way, we'll be looking forward to it.

MTV Movie Blog editor: "The Rover" with Robert Pattinson is already looking pretty great.

RopeOfSilicon: Pearce Points Pistol at Pattinson in New Picture..."giving you a look at just how down in the dirt this pic is going to get."

Flix66: Obviously Robert Pattinson has annoyed a very dirty and hairy looking Guy Pearce in this photo, so it’ll be interesting to see how all of that plays out when this movie hits theaters.

FirstShowing: If seeing Robert Pattinson step outside his sparkly vampire self from The Twilight Saga for more serious dramas like Water for Elephants and Cosmopolis just didn't sit right with you, then we have a new film that might work.

MovieFone: Robert Pattinson's latest bid to shed his "Twilight" reputation is the dystopian drama "The Rover," and as you can see below, he's taking quite a beating from Guy Pearce to prove he's no longer Edward Cullen.

CinemaTeaser: Awesome first pic for David Michôd's THE ROVER with Guy Pearce and Robert Pattinson

MovieHole: First still of Robert Pattinson and Guy Pearce in David Michod's "The Rover". Script is apparently ace!

Collider: Michod promises that The Rover is going to be “way more chillingly authentic and menacing” than those films. That’s some strong talk, but considering how great Animal Kingdom is, I’m inclined to take Michod’s word for it.