Alex Garland and A24 Reuniting After ‘Ex Machina’ for New Film, Jessie Buckley Eyed to Star
Zack Sharf
Alex Garland is reuniting with his “Ex Machina” distributor A24 for a new science-fiction movie, Deadline reports. The project is titled “Men” and will mark Garland’s first feature directorial effort after the 2018 release “Annihilation.” In the interim, the writer-director helmed the FX on Hulu limited series “Devs,” which was released to strong reviews in 2019. According to Deadline, Jessie Buckley and Rory Kinnear are being eyed to star in the film.
Per Deadline: “Buckley’s deal is not closed yet but is headed in right direction. Besides directing, Garland penned the script to the untitled project. Scott Rudin, who produced his previous projects, returns as producer…As for Buckley, sources tell Deadline Garland met with talent for the part last year, and the part quickly became one of the sought after parts for some of the town’s rising stars. Buckley would eventually land the role and Garland is now looking to find her co-star.”
Plot details for “Men” are remaining under wraps, but Deadline reports the film is “expected to be in the vein of [Garland’s] previous films with sci-fi elements.” Buckley’s career is red hot following acclaimed 2019 turns in “Fargo” Season 4 and Charlie Kaufman’s “I’m Thinking of Ending Things.”
As for Garland and A24, the two collaborators turned “Ex Machina” into a success story in 2015. The film served as Garland’s directorial breakthrough and earned just under $40 million at the worldwide box office. Widely considered one of the best science-fiction offerings of the the last decade, “Ex Machina” won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects and was also Oscar nominated for Best Original Screenplay. The film was also a launching pad for Alicia Vikander, who was nominated for the BAFTA prize for Best Supporting Actress.
In taking “Man” to A24, Garland returns to the indie film world after making his last feature, “Annihilation,” at Paramount. Garland’s experience in the studio world as a director was rocky after Paramount deemed “Annihilation” a financial risk and sold off select international rights to the movie to Netflix. While “Annihilation” only grossed $32 million in the U.S. and was regarded as a box office disappointment, it earned glowing reviews and continued to make Garland one of the most essential cinematic voices in science-fiction. His limited series “Devs” is now streaming on FX on Hulu.
