Ron Howard has lined up an all-star cast for his next feature film, dubbed Origin of Species. Deadline reports that the survival thriller, written by Noah Pink (Tetris), will star Jude Law (Fantastic Beasts and the Secrets of Dumbledore), Ana De Armas (Blonde), Alicia Vikander (Tomb Raider), and Daniel Brühl (All Quiet on the Western Front). The project will be shopped at the upcoming Cannes market with plans to start filming in late 2023 in Queensland, Australia.
Origins of Species is said to be inspired by a true story, based on two different accounts of the same event. The filmmakers describe the movie as a "darkly comic tale of murder and survival, set around a group of eclectic characters who abandon civilization for the Galapagos. They are all searching for the answer to that ever-pressing question that plagues us all: what is the meaning of life.”
This will be the next feature film to be directed by Howard following Thirteen Lives, released on Prime Video last year. That film was also based on a true story, chronicling the story of the Thai cave rescue. Viggo Mortensen, Colin Farrell, and Joel Edgerton starred. Previously, Howard won a Best Director Oscar for directing A Beautiful Mind and was nominated for Frost/Nixon. His other films include Willow, Apollo 13, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Da Vinci Code, and Solo: A Star Wars Story.
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Origin of Species star Ana De Armas was also just recently nominated for an Oscar for her role in the Netflix movie Blonde, a Marilyn Monroe film. That follows roles in films like Blade Runner 2049, No Time to Die, and Knives Out. Her newest movie, Ghosted, premiered last month on Apple TV+, featuring Ana De Armas alongside Chris Evans. She is also set to star in Ballerina, an upcoming spinoff of the John Wick movies.
Jude Law was nominated for an Oscar for his roles in the films Cold Mountain and The Talented Mr. Ripley. He is currently working on Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, a series that is in development for Disney+. Last year, he reprised his role as Albus Dumbledore in the sequel Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore, and he is also known for playing Dr. Watson in the Sherlock Holmes movies. Most recently, he could be seen in the Disney+ movie Peter Pan & Wendy, playing the role of Captain Hook in the live-action remake of the animated Disney story.
Alicia Vikander won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in The Danish Girl. She is also known for playing Lara Croft in the Tomb Raider reboot. Some of her other recent films include Blue Bayou, The Green Knight, and Beckett.
Daniel Brühl starred in the Oscar-winning film All Quiet in the Western Front, released on Netflix last year. He also earned a Golden Globe nomination for his role in The Alienist along with another for the film Rush. He also appeared in the MCU movie Captain America: Civil War before returning in the Disney+ series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. The actor has also appeared in Inglorious Basterds, The Bourne Ultimatum, and The King's Man.
Origin of Species doesn't yet have a release date.