First look at James McAvoy in Welcome To The Punch

The first image from Welcome To The Punch has been revealed over at Screen Daily .

It shows James McAvoy, who play a London detective, looking pretty slick in a neon-hued London. Here's the official synopsis:

"Ex-criminal Jacob Sternwood (Mark Strong) is forced to return to London from his Icelandic hideaway when his son is involved in a heist gone wrong. This gives detective Max Lewinsky (McAvoy) one last chance to catch the man he’s always been after. As they face off, they start to uncover a deeper conspiracy they both need to solve in order to survive."

The one thing that really stands out from this image though is the leap that director Eran Creevy has taken since his low budget breakout, Shifty .

Worlds away from the council estates where he lensed that earlier effort, here he showcases a totally different side of London, bathing everything in a Michael Mann-esque blue glow.

We're hoping those Hollywood comparisons aren't just going to be superficial, seeing as Ridley Scott has been dispensing advice in the editing suite.

Welcome To The Punch , which also stars Andrea Riseborough, Peter Mullan and Shifty 's Daniel Mays, opens in the UK on 7 September 2012.

And, while you're here, why not check out the first look at James McAvoy in Filth ? He's clearly striving for diversity...