There were few movies that excited this particular writer in 2015 more than Alex Garland’s Ex Machina. The subversive sci-fi thriller not only starred some of our favorite dudes out there right now (in any galaxy), Oscar Isaac and Domnhall Gleeson, but we also loved it because of its handling of some seriously complex societal structures. (There’s a lot to be said about male gaze and the patriarchy when you build—uh, sorta-spoiler alert?—lady pleasure robots.) Alicia Vikander’s work as Ava, the self-aware artificial intelligence, helped make the searing commentary at the heart of the film so unsettling and alive. Which is why we’re so excited for Garland’s next work, Annihilation, starring Natalie Portman, Gina Rodriguez, and—maybe!—Creed‘s Tessa Thompson.
If The Wrap‘s report is to be believed—sources for Thompson and Paramount wouldn’t comment—the on-screen adaptation of the Jeff VanderMeer novel of the same name would be produced by Scott Rudin and star the aforementioned women. (Garland adapted and will direct.) Annihilation itself is actually the first in a 3-part series (are all books made in sets of three now?) called The Southern Reach Trilogy. The book follows an all-female team—an anthropologist, surveyor, biologist (the narrator), and psychologist (the leader)—of investigators as they journey through an uninhabited, ominous place known as Area X where, apparently, the ol’ laws of physics and nature aren’t really there. ~spooky~
Naturally, we’re going to be intrigued by any sort of thriller-based, suspension-filled science fiction film, but to have it be fronted by three badass ladies as impressive as Portman, Thompson, and Jane the Virgin‘s ever-lovable Rodriguez? SIGN.US.UP. We are—as the kids say—HERE.FOR.THIS.
But what do you think of the adaptation and casting? Let us know in the comments below.
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HT: The Wrap
Image Credit:Â Warner Bros
Alicia Lutes is the Managing Editor of The Nerdist and willing to investigate Area X if called upon for it. Find her traversing the internet over on Twitter (@alicialutes).
