The last time the acclaimed Mexican filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron immersed his storytelling gifts in the genre of science fiction the result was the dystopian masterpiece Children of Men, arguably one of the greatest films made so far this century. Thus when he decides to take a return trip to the realm of the fantastic and impossibly possible it should a cause for celebration.

Warner Brothers has released the first poster for Gravity, Cuaron’s next sci-fi feature, via Twitter, and you can check it out below.

Don’t let go. Exclusive new poster for Alfonso Cuarón’s #GravityMovie starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney: twitter.com/wbpictures/sta”¦

— Warner Bros Pictures (@wbpictures) May 8, 2013

In Gravity George Clooney plays a veteran astronaut who plans to retire after his latest mission: accompanying a medical engineer (Sandra Bullock) on her first space shuttle mission. When the shuttle is destroyed as they are out on a spacewalk the astronaut and engineer are left stranded in space with no way of communicating with Earth. From there things are bound to get worse.

Now if that’s not a situation to make your buttocks clench so hard you can turn coal into diamonds without flexing then what pray tell is?

Gravity has had a prolonged, complicated journey to the big screen. Cuaron has developed the project for years but the production experienced constant delays due to the studio’s inability to lock down stars. Originally Robert Downey Jr. was – pardon the pun – orbiting the Clooney role while both Angelina Jolie and Natalie Portman had been approached to play the part that ultimately went to Bullock. Scheduling delays and salary demands kept Gravity on the proverbial launching until Clooney and Bullock signed on and principal photography begin in May 2011 in London.

The movie was originally scheduled to open last November but was delayed for nearly a year, most likely to avoid competing with the holiday movie onslaught and to fine tune the visual effects. Gravity was also post-converted to 3D, so there’s that as well.

You can experience Gravity in 2D, 3D, and IMAX 3D starting October 4, 2013. Count me in for this sucker.

Poster

[Source: Warner Bros. Twitter]