Intelligent Life

The Steven Spielberg-produced Intelligent Life has had a bit of a bumpy start getting out the gate — it was previously set to be directed by Ava DuVernay with Lupita Nyong’o starring, but both of them jumped ship when DuVernay decided to focus on her Wrinkle in Time adaptation. But now it looks like the project is back on track after a rewrite from Jay Roach and a new hire: Stranger Things director Rebecca Thomas.

For a brief moment, Ava DuVernay was attached to direct Intelligent Life for Amblin with Lupita Nyong’o on board to star, but when the former departed the project to focus on Disney’s A Wrinkle in Time, the latter also jumped ship — leaving the film in flux. But the sci-fi project has found new life with Jay Roach, who has signed on rewrite and potentially direct Intelligent Life based on Colin Trevorrow and Derek Connolly’s screenplay.

We’ve been anxiously waiting for Ava DuVernay to select her next feature film project, and although she passed on Marvel’s Black Panther, the Selma director has remained very busy executive producing, writing and directing the TV series Queen Sugar for Oprah Winfrey’s network — not to mention acquiring films for her ARRAY distribution banner. It looks as though DuVerna may be close to selecting her next feature directing project, as she’s reportedly being courted for not one, but two upcoming sci-fi projects.

Colin Trevorrow must have made a great impression on his Jurassic World executive producer Steven Spielberg because the pair are already planning their next film together before Jurassic World has even hit theaters. It’s not a Jurassic sequel, but it is another sci-fi movie—this time based on an early concept Trevorrow came up with along with his writing partner.