Ryan-Gosling-in-Only-God-ForgivesReuniting after the immensity that is Drive, Nicolas Winding Refn and Ryan Gosling will be back this year to bring us Only God Forgives.

We had been hoping that this would be debuting at Venice or TIFF late last year, but it’s now looking increasingly likely that it will be premiering out in Cannes in May.

We saw the first teaser footage from the film at the start of the year. And now a handful of new images have been released over at AlloCiné, giving us another brilliant look at the leading players for Only God Forgives.

Bangkok. Ten years ago Julian killed a cop and went on the run. Now he manages a Thai boxing club as a front for a drugs operation. Respected in the criminal underworld, deep inside, he feels empty.

When Julian’s brother murders a prostitute the police call on retired cop Chang – the Angel of Vengeance. Chang allows the father to kill his daughter’s murderer, then ‘restores order’ by chopping off the man’s right hand.

Julian’s mother Jenna – the head of a powerful criminal organization – arrives in Bangkok to collect her son’s body. She dispatches Julian to find his killers and ‘raise hell’.

Increasingly obsessed with the Angel of Vengeance, Julian challenges him to a boxing match, hoping that by defeating him he might find spiritual release… but Chang triumphs. A furious Jenna plots revenge and the stage is set for a bloody journey through betrayal and vengeance towards a final confrontation and the possibility of redemption.

Gosling stars alongside Kristin Scott Thomas, Yayaying, and Vithaya Pansringarm.

Winding Refn is directing from his own script, with past collaborator Lene Børglum (Valhalla Rising) once more producing for him.

Only God Forgives remains without an official release date in the UK or US. It’s one that we can’t wait to see, and we’re hoping that it won’t be long before it premieres for the world. Here’s to hoping that it will be a swift road from festival to theatres, if it does bow at Cannes like we think it might.