Avengers: Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo have been developing robot movie The Electric State for a number of years.
However they struggled to get it off the ground. But when you then go and direct literally the highest grossing movie of all time, higher-ups are far more likely to take your other projects seriously.
That’s exactly what’s happened here. The Electric State is now in motion, as Universal have acquired the project following a large bidding war, which they reportedly won because they guaranteed a theatrical release.
The brothers had previously only planned to produce the film, but would-be director Andy Muschietti is now focused on making The Flash, so the Russos will helm it after all. And on top of that, they’ve secured Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown to star in the project.
So what is The Electric State? It’s based on Simon Stålenhag‘s graphic novel Tales From The Loop, and is set in an alternate future where human and robots live together in relative harmony.
But when a teenage girl realises that her new robot friend has actually been sent to her by her missing brother, she and the robot set out to find him, uncovering a grand conspiracy in the process.
Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely will pen the script. They previously worked with the Russo’s on multiple Captain America and Avengers films. The Russos told Deadline:
“We’re thrilled to have this deal with Universal who has committed to a theatrical release of Electric State. This is incredible news for us as filmmakers, and for audiences around the world who want an opportunity to experience films in theaters again. This is also a positive sign that, as vaccines become available, the theatrical market is returning”.
Markus added: “This is a very human story about a teenage girl with all the powers of a teenage girl and nothing more. Another thing we are really proud of when it comes to this story is all the major characters, barring one supporting character, are women which is super exciting to be involved in”.
Universal reportedly plans to fast track the film, although scheduling could get tricky, as Brown will be shooting a new series of Stranger Things at some point, and the Russos have multiple projects in the works. Still, it sounds like a great premise worthy of being seen on the silver screen.
Since Endgame, the Russos have used their new found leverage to get interesting non-franchise projects off the ground, which is commendable. Hopefully most of them – like the adaptation of Nico Walker‘s Cherry and Netflix blockbuster The Gray Man – can be successful in a market increasingly dominated by the same long-running IP.
#Peace.Love.TheElectricState
