It was reported earlier this year that Roger Avary was set to write and direct an adaptation of John Milton’s epic poem Paradise Lost for Ex Machina, an AI-oriented studio. Deadline reports that Paradise Lost has now landed a theatrical release date, with the project slated to hit theaters for Easter 2027.
Avary’s Paradise Lost is described as “the ultimate faith-based heroic saga: a cosmic war in the heavens where the charismatic, rebellious archangel Lucifer defies God, is hurled into the abyss of Hell, and vows revenge on all creation. From the fiery lake of damnation, Lucifer rises as Satan to seduce humanity’s first parents, Adam and Eve, in the flawless Garden of Eden, triggering the Fall of Man and the loss of Paradise itself.“
Casting is currently underway, with production to begin soon.
Ex Machina Studios has entered into an exclusive North American theatrical distribution agreement with Mayfair Media Group, which will see a number of its movies, including Paradise Lost, released in major cities across North America on over 1,500 screens.
“The idea behind Ex Machina Studios, from the beginning, was to take advantage of rapidly evolving technologies while working with outstanding filmmakers to realize their vision and create original IP without traditional budgetary restrictions or green-light committees,” said Ex Machina’s Marco Weber. “By building our theatrical distribution platform with Frank and the Mayfair team, we can now bring these films directly to audiences in theatres. It’s the next step in building Ex Machina into a destination for forward-thinking filmmakers—giving them greater control of their vision while connecting their work with the audiences it was created for.“
There have been several attempts to bring Paradise Lost to the big screen, but they have typically faced budget constraints. For this project, they will use Ex Machina’s proprietary AI, which will allow “expansive worlds to be realized at a responsible budget while preserving the primacy of real actors, human-authored narratives, and guild-aligned production practices.” Even with the money they will save from using AI, the project will reportedly still have an “ambitious budget” for an indie film.
So, although AI will be used, the team has said they will preserve “the primacy of real actors, human-authored narratives, and guild-aligned production practices.“
It’s not quite a full-length AI feature, such as the one we saw at the Cannes Market earlier this year, but I imagine many people won’t be pleased. Are you willing to spend your money on this film?