When Steven Spielberg makes a movie, he certainly goes all out if the proposed cast list for ‘Robocopalyspe’ is anything to go by. A couple months ago, it was reported that Spielberg wanted the God of Thunder, ‘Thor’s’ Chris Hemsworth, to be the leading man in the film. Now it looks like he’s also eyeing Anne Hathaway and Ben Whishaw to add to the film.
Hathaway is definitely an A-lister having coming off the film ‘The Dark Knight Rises’ as the intelligent and sexy Selena Kyle/Catwoman. She will be seen next as Fatine in the upcoming musical ‘Les Misérables’ due out in December. According to reports, Hathaway is in talks for the female lead in ‘Robocopalypse’ opposite Hemsworth who is also reported as still in negotiations.
The other person on Speilberg’s radar for a part is Ben Whishaw. While not an A-lister yet, his star is definitely on the rise having starred in the BBC series ‘The Hour’ and most recently played 6 roles in the ambitious Wachowski film ‘Cloud Atlas’ which will be released next month. Add snagging the role of ‘Q’ in the new James Bond film ‘Skyfall’ and you have a star in the making.
Speilberg has Whishaw on the top of his list to play the role of computer hacker Luker. As in the case of Hathaway and Hemsworth, no formal offer has been made to Whishaw yet.
‘Robocopalypse’ is based on the book by Daniel H. Wilson and takes place in the near future where robots have become a part of everyday life. When an artificial intelligence known as ‘Archos’ comes online, it assumes control over the global network of machines and humanity is threatened. Here’s a full synopsis of the book from Amazon:
They are in your house. They are in your car. They are in the skies…Now they’re coming for you.
In the near future, at a moment no one will notice, all the dazzling technology that runs our world will unite and turn against us. Taking on the persona of a shy human boy, a childlike but massively powerful artificial intelligence known as Archos comes online and assumes control over the global network of machines that regulate everything from transportation to utilities, defense and communication. In the months leading up to this, sporadic glitches are noticed by a handful of unconnected humans – a single mother disconcerted by her daughter’s menacing “smart” toys, a lonely Japanese bachelor who is victimized by his domestic robot companion, an isolated U.S. soldier who witnesses a ‘pacification unit’ go haywire – but most are unaware of the growing rebellion until it is too late.
When the Robot War ignites — at a moment known later as Zero Hour — humankind will be both decimated and, possibly, for the first time in history, united.
Dreamworks has been developing this project since 2009 when it first acquired the rights to Wilson’s then un-published manuscript. Drew Goddard (‘Cabin in the Woods‘, ‘Cloverfield’, ‘Lost’) has adapted the book for the big screen.
While it is still up in the air if Hemsworth, Hathaway or Whishaw will actually star in the film, it is unlikely they would turn down the opportunity unless there was a really good reason (which, at the moment, none comes to mind).
‘Robopocalypse’ is scheduled to begin sometime next year with a release date slated for April 25, 2014.
