After being in development for years, Jeffrey Morris’ sci-fi survival thriller Persephone has added more to its cast alongside Deadpool star Briana Hildebrand. According to Deadline, Ming-Na Wen (The Book of Boba Fett) and Esai Morales (Titans) are set to star in the film.
Persephone follows “refugees from a dying earth, who are traveling aboard an enormous space vessel called Odyssey. Their destination is Proxima b—a planet orbiting the nearest star. When a crew is dispatched to repair a shield designed to protect their colony from deadly solar flares, a computer malfunction causes them to crash-land on the alien planet. The crew then discover that they may not be the only life on this hostile world. A mystery unfolds that may not only derail their mission, but also prevent the colonists from ever setting foot on the planet.”
Hildebrand was first attached to Morris’ film in 2018 and the project has become an ambitious undertaking. Morris wrote the screenplay and has also co-written a companion novel with sci-fi novelist Kevin J. Anderson, most known for writing several Star Wars novels as well as the prequels to Dune with Brian Herbert.
“I’m tremendously honored and excited to be working with this amazing cast and crew to enact a singular vision of the future,” Morris said. “Through our collaboration, the goal is to create a sense of realism and exploration that is far beyond the typical sci-fi space adventure.”
Morris will produce through his company FutureDude Entertainment with Anne Marie Gillen, Jorge Heredia, Jane Fleming and Mark Ordesky. Anderson will co-executive produce with Cassian Elwes as executive producer and Jasmin Espada as a co-producer.
“From my very first conversation with writer/director Jeffrey Morris, I knew we had a connection. He had already written an excellent, gritty Sci-Fi script, and our brainstorming brought it even more to life,” said Anderson. “Persephone is filled with incredible ideas, and I love being a part of it.”
“We were immediately captivated by the ambition and integrity of Jeffrey’s vision,” said producers Fleming and Ordesky. “The world building is so rigorously researched and richly imagined, it feels like stepping into a real future. And the struggle for co-existence that animates Persephone could not be more vital or timely.”
Ricky Church – Follow me on Twitter for more movie news and nerd talk
Originally published May 6, 2022. Updated May 5, 2022.
