We first heard about Joe and Anthony Russo's planned adaptation of The Electric State back in 2020, and we finally have an update on the project, as the Avengers: Endgame and The Gray Man directors have rounded out the cast of their next Netflix feature with several big name-actors.
According to Deadline (via SFFGazette.com), Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All At Once), Stanley Tucci (The Hunger Games), Jason Alexander (Seinfeld), Brian Cox (Succession) and Jenny Slate (Parks and Recreation) are all set to join The Electric State, which already has Millie Bobby Brown (Stranger Things) and Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy) on board in the lead roles.
Details on their characters are still under wraps, but Cox and Slate are believed to be voicing fully CGI characters.
Based on Simon Stålenhag's graphic novel, The Electric State is set in an alternative future and focuses on a teenage girl (Brown) who realizes that a strange robot who comes to her has actually been sent by her missing brother. "She and the robot set out to find the brother in an imaginative world of humans mixing with all manner of robots, uncovering a grand conspiracy in the process."
The Russos will direct and produce via their AGBO banner, while frequent collaborators Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely penned the script.
“We’re thrilled to have this deal with Universal who has committed to a theatrical release of Electric State,” said the Russos back when the project was first announced. “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.”
“This is a very human story about a teenage girl with all the powers of a teenage girl and nothing more,” added Markus. “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.”
No release date has been revealed, but production is expected to begin later this year.