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On Thursday, Laika continued to tease big live-action plans with the announcement of a new sci-fi thriller written and to be directed by Jon Spaihts, the Oscar-nominated screenwriter behind the Dune films, in his feature debut.
Currently untitled, the film tells the tale of a woman investigating a mystery that took place during a week she cannot remember.
Spaihts’ project comes to Laika on the heels of Crumble, a live-action film that Brian Duffield will direct from his own script, with Lord Miller producing. Also on the docket for the company on the live-action side is the action thriller Seventeen, based on the novel from screenwriter John Brownlow.
In a statement on his Laika pic, Spaihts said, “This is an original passion project I’ve been eager to turn to for a while, and I couldn’t ask for better partners. LAIKA has a clear creative vision, and a tradition of meticulous, bespoke storytelling that suits this project very well.”
Laika’s President, Live Action Film & Series, Matt Levin, said that the company “has long admired Jon’s iconic work as a screenwriter. He is one of the most imaginative and inventive storytellers working today, and we’re honored to partner with him as he brings his unique vision and soul to the director’s chair for the first time with a wholly original idea that is as thought-provoking as it is moving.”
Earning his first Oscar nomination in 2022 for his work as co-writer of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune, Spaihts is coming off of co-writing the sequel, Dune: Part Two, which grossed over $711 million worldwide and is expected to be a major awards player. He also exec produced both films, based on the novel by Frank Herbert.
Previously, Spaihts scripted Morten Tyldum’s sci-fi thriller Passengers, also co-writing Ridley Scott’s Alien prequel Prometheus and Marvel’s Doctor Strange. He contributed to the screenplay for Warner Bros’ upcoming A Minecraft Movie and is also expected to return to work alongside Villeneuve on threequel Dune: Messiah.
An Oregon studio that made a name for itself with its Oscar-nominated work in stop-motion, Laika is currently in production on its sixth animated feature, Wildwood, which is due for release next year. The company also recently announced Piranesi, an animated adaptation of Susanna Clarke’s bestselling novel, to be directed by Laika’s founder, President and CEO, Travis Knight. In addition to aforementioned projects, the company is currently developing the animated feature The Night Gardener, based on an original idea from Ozark‘s Bill Dubuque. Currently in theaters as part of a 15th anniversary re-release, its first animated feature Coraline has collected over $48M at the global box since August 15.
Amid its accelerating expansion into live-action, Laika has begun plotting its entrée into television, as we told you first, with the appointment of Amblin alum Alex Maggioni to the role of Head of TV. Zac Locke was at the same time announced as the company’s new Head of Business Affairs.
Spaihts is represented by CAA, Circle Management + Production, and Goodman Genow Schenkman.
