Zendaya is returning to science fiction with a new untitled film from writer-director Alex Garland for A24. The project is scheduled to begin filming in 2027, although the filmmakers have kept its plot and other details under wraps.
Variety confirmed Zendaya’s casting, marking another collaboration between the actor and A24 after the series Euphoria and the dark comedy The Drama, in which she stars alongside Robert Pattinson. The Drama has earned nearly $135 million worldwide, while Euphoria concluded its three-season run earlier this year.
The film also extends Garland’s long-running partnership with A24. The studio has backed several of his projects, including Ex Machina, Men, Civil War and Warfare. Garland is also directing A24’s upcoming big-budget adaptation of the video game Elden Ring, starring Kit Connor, Cailee Spaeny, Ben Whishaw, Nick Offerman and Tom Burke. Filming wrapped on 30 July, and the film is scheduled for release in March 2028.
Zendaya has had a busy year, appearing in The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, both of which have performed strongly at the box office. She will also return to Arrakis in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Three, scheduled to reach cinemas on 16 December.
Garland’s return to science fiction will interest fans of his earlier work, which includes the Netflix film Annihilation and the FX series Devs. However, his new project could further delay plans for a third 28 Years Later film.
Garland wrote the original 28 Days Later and later reunited with director Danny Boyle for 28 Years Later and its follow-up, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. Speaking recently at the London Film Festival, Boyle said Garland had written a “fantastic script” for a third instalment but was now busy with Elden Ring.
“So it’s on the back burner at the moment,” Boyle said.
Garland’s latest commitment to A24 could push the proposed sequel further down the schedule.
