Exclusive: The poster for Oliver Stone’s Savages with Travolta, Hayek, and Del Toro!

We’ve already seen a few images, but today we have an exclusive look at the poster for Oliver Stone’s upcoming crime drama SAVAGES, which looks pretty bad ass and more “outside the box” than the traditional stuff we’ve seen of late.  The trailer is set to bow on Thursday, April 5th, and should give us a better feel for what Stone’s got cookin’ on the celluloid barbecue.  I’m pullin’ for a win. 

Have a look:

Personally, I’m really looking forward to this.  Stone has been swimming in the pool of politics for far too long and it’ll be nice to see him just have some fun again.  A straight crime drama from the filmmaker is just what the doctor ordered at this stage in his career.  While I really enjoy some of Stone’s more controversial films (and loathe a few at that), I think he really shines when doing films that don’t recreate historical people or events.  NATURAL BORN KILLERS and ANY GIVEN SUNDAY are two of my faves by him and I’d love to see a return to that style.

Could SAVAGES be a comeback for Stone?  I have high hopes.  As far as crime drama’s go, I know he’s got the chops to pull it off.  Let’s not forget, this is the guy that wrote SCARFACE.  Blood, bullets, drugs, and violence courtesy of Oliver Stone?  Yes, please.

Here’s the synopsis:

Three-time Oscar®-winning filmmaker Oliver Stone returns to the screen with the ferocious thriller Savages, featuring the all-star ensemble cast of Taylor Kitsch, Blake Lively, Aaron Johnson, John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Benicio Del Toro, Salma Hayek, Emile Hirsch and Demian Bichir. The film is based on Don Winslow’s best-selling crime novel that was named one of The New York Times’ Top 10 Books of 2010.

Laguna Beach entrepreneurs Ben (Johnson), a peaceful and charitable Buddhist, and his closest friend Chon (Kitsch), a former Navy SEAL and ex-mercenary, run a lucrative, homegrown industry—raising some of the best marijuana ever developed. They also share a one-of-a-kind love with the extraordinary beauty Ophelia (Lively). Life is idyllic in their Southern California town…until the Mexican Baja Cartel decides to move in and demands that the trio partners with them.

When the merciless head of the BC, Elena (Hayek), and her brutal enforcer, Lado (Del Toro), underestimate the unbreakable bond among these three friends, Ben and Chon—with the reluctant, slippery assistance of a dirty DEA agent (Travolta)—wage a seemingly unwinnable war against the cartel. And so begins a series of increasingly vicious ploys and maneuvers in a high stakes, savage battle of wills.

SAVAGES opens on July 6th, 2012.