Benedict Cumberbatch, Laura Dern, and Noah Jupe have signed on to star in Morning, a new sci-fi drama from director Justin Kurzel (Assassin’s Creed, True History Of The Kelly Gang).
The film takes place in the near future and focuses on a society that has removed the need to sleep thanks to a game-changing pill, along with an artificial sun has set the world into an eternal day. But as the first generation to not experience sleep comes of age, they rebel to reclaim the world of dreams.
Morning reportedly focuses on themes of productivity, power, and the importance of dreaming, and comes at a time when generational tensions are high. With a generation born into the chaos of a post-9/11 world now coming of age, questions of lost dreams, an unsustainable focus on productivity, and constant surveillance are topics ripe for discussion.
Kurzel’s most recent film, Nitram, was nominated for the Palme d’Or, and he’s previously directed dark dramas like Snowtown and Macbeth. This will be his first foray into sci-fi if you don’t count the Assassin’s Creed video game adaptation, which is a wide mix of genres.
HanWay Films will handle international sales on the project, and MD Gabrielle Stewart said:
“Morning asks so many questions of us as people with ambitions, hopes, emotions, and dreams, and it is fascinating to debate what sleep means to our very existence and our souls. What would we be like if we had never dreamt? It also contains the spirit of youth rebelling against the choices of their parents. Morning provokes, moves, entices, and it has an amazing team behind it.”
There certainly looks to be plenty of interesting ideas at the core of Morning, and it’s got a terrific premise that should intrigue plenty of people. Kurzel has been an under-the-radar but successful director in his brief career thus far, but perhaps this is the film that pushes him into auteur territory.
#Peace.Love.Morning
