Academy Award nominee Cynthia Erivo is next set to star in an adaptation of author Adrian Tchaikovsky’s sci-fi action thriller “Saturation Point” at Universal.
Minnie Schedeen (“Exoplanet,” “Demon of Brownsville Road”) will adapt the screenplay based on British science-fiction and fantasy writer Tchaikovsky’s book.
Erivo will star as Dr. Jasmine Marks, who leads a search and rescue mission into The Zone — a section of rainforest along the equator with a climate inhospitable to intelligent life. The film’s logline explains: “As she pushes further into the wilderness, Dr Marks discovers the Zone is far deadlier than initially believed and not all forms of intelligent life are necessarily human.”
In addition to starring in the film, Erivo will also produce the movie via her Edith’s Daughter production company with Solome Williams. Edith’s Daughter inked a first-look deal with Universal last fall, expanding the Tony, Grammy and Emmy-winning star’s relationship with the studio after Erivo starred as Elphaba in the uber-successful film adaptation of the Broadway musical, “Wicked.” The film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including best picture and Erivo for best actress, and won two Oscars. The second chapter, “Wicked: For Good,” arrives in theaters on Nov. 21.
Michael Bay and Brad Fuller also produce “Saturation Point” via their Platinum Dunes banner’s first-look deal with the studio. Alex Ginno will executive produce and oversee the project for Platinum Dunes; the company’s films, which include the “A Quiet Place” franchise, the “Purge” movies and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” have grossed more than $3 billion at the worldwide box office.
Universal Pictures’ senior VP of production development Ryan Jones and director of production development Christine Sun will oversee the project for the studio.
Erivo is repped by UTA, Entertainment 360, Peikoff Mahan and the Lede Company. Bay is repped by Rich Cook at Range Media Partners. Fuller is repped by UTA and Sloane Offer Weber and Dern.
Tchaikovsky — whose wide variety of work also includes the Arthur C Clarke and BSFA (British Science Fiction Assn.) award-winning series “Children of Time” — is represented by Simon Kavanagh and Oliver Cheetham at the Mic Cheetham Agency and UTA.
Schedeen — who adapted her short story ‘Expolanet’ as a film for Amazon with Matt Tolmach producing and Gina Prince-Bythewood attached to direct — is represented by UTA, Untitled and Ziffren Brittenham.
Adrian Tchaikovsky and Minnie Schedeen
Tchaikovsky: Tom Pepperdine / Schedeen: Courtesy of Subject
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