Seven months ago, it was announced that Tessa Thompson (Thor: Love and Thunder) and Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Looper) had signed on to star in Ash, a sci-fi thriller from rapper and filmmaker Flying Lotus, a.k.a. Steven Ellison. But Thompson and Gordon-Levitt have since moved on from the project, and Deadline reports that they have been replaced by Eiza González (Baby Driver) and Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad).
González will be playing a woman who wakes on a far-flung planet to find her crew mysteriously murdered. When a man (Paul) comes to investigate the scene, she must decide if she can trust him or if he’s responsible for her series of unfortunate events.
Flying Lotus is directing the film from a screenplay by Jonni Remmler and will also be composing the score. XYZ Films and GFC Films are producing Ash, with Neill Blomkamp and Echo Lake serving as executive producers. XYZ Films is co-financing the project with IPR.VC. Blomkamp is known for his own directing endeavors, including the films District 9, Elysium, Chappie, and Demonic.
Flying Lotus provided the following statement: “We are building something fresh and unique with Ash and having Eiza and Aaron in this world just makes it flames. They are absolute magic makers, brave and equally inspiring. All that to say… We ‘bout to kill this shit.“
GFC Films’ Matthew Metcalfe and XYZ Films’ Nate Bolotin added: “At the helm of the visionary artist Flying Lotus, and now in collaboration with the incredibly talented Eiza González and Aaron Paul, we are excited to embark on this journey to bring the unique world of Ash to life.“
Does Ash sound interesting to you, and what do you think of Eiza González and Aaron Paul taking over roles that were once set to go to Tessa Thompson and Joseph Gordon-Levitt? Share your thoughts on this one by leaving a comment below.
Eiza González, Aaron Paul, Tessa Thompson, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt are all fine choices to lead a film, and I’m interested in checking out Ash no matter who it stars. This “far-flung planet” murder mystery sounds very intriguing to me.