JJ Abrams and Overlord director team up for superhero thriller The Heavy

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

After showing off his wares at CinemaCon this past week with OVERLORD, director Julius Avery is in negotiations to reteam with J.J. Abrams and Paramount for the original superhero thriller THE HEAVY written by Daniel Casey (THE PASSAGE and the upcoming KIN). Details are being kept under wraps, but is described as a “subversive take on the superhero genre.” Paramount is looking to fast track the project and get it behind the cameras starting this year.

Avery previously directed 2014’s SON OF A GUN with Ewan McGregor, which I haven’t seen so can’t speak to how much talent it displayed for Avery as a director. However, it was certainly enough to get him the OVERLORD gig with Bad Robot, so there’s got to be something there. Having seen the trailer for OVERLORD at CinemaCon I can say that it looks like a lot of bloody fun (it’s the first R-rated film from Bad Robot) and feels a lot like an old school grindhouse film more than anything.

OVERLORD hits theaters on October 26th.