Elizabeth Banks and John C. Reilly have signed on to star a timely thriller titled Dreamquil, which revolves around what happens when Artificial Intelligence and automation are integrated into our daily lives.
The story is set in the not so distant future where poor air quality has meant people mostly live their lives virtually from home and AI has become more prevalent. Carol is a dissatisfied career mother who, despite loving her husband Gary, is struggling to find real connection within her marriage, where the day-to-day familiarity of their home is claustrophobic.
Worried she’s heading towards divorce, Carol leaps at the chance to get her life back on track by signing up for DreamQuil’s avant-garde A.I.-led mental wellness retreat. Gary, left to take care of their two sons, is delivered ‘Carol-Too’, an identical mechanical clone of his wife. But things take a sinister turn upon the real Carol’s homecoming.
The film will mark the debut of American filmmaker and contemporary artist Alex Prager, who was nominated for the SXSW Grand Jury Prize in 2023 for her short film Run. Vincent Landay will produce alongside Banks, Max Handelman, and Alison Small for Brownstone Productions.
Two-time Oscar nominee Matthew Libatique (Black Swan) is also on board as cinematographer, as is Oscar nominated editor Matt Chesse (Finding Neverland), and Grammy-winning music producer Nigel Godrich as composer.
Prager, who has previously made short films with the likes of Cate Blanchett, Gary Oldman, Riley Keough, Brad Pitt, and Bryce Dallas Howard, said in a statement:
“DreamQuil is a way to bring some humanity back into a world hurling towards automation. While we can’t stop what’s coming we wanted to show one version of the nightmare play out in all its absurdity – so we can laugh a little as the horror unfolds.
DreamQuil explores my favorite theme of identity and I like to think of it as a love letter to Hitchcock and Tarantino set in the near-future.”
As AI becomes more prominent and inches closer to becoming ubiquitous in our lives, expect to see a lot more films like Dreamquil. Banks and Reilly should be able to deliver a relatable, down-to-earth perspective on what’s hopefully a fun thriller that’s not too close to our technological future. Production is slated to begin in the autumn.
#Peace.Love.Dreamquil
