He’s tackled crooked cops, diminutive superheroes and friendly astronauts stranded on Mars, but for his next gig, Ant-Man‘s Michael Peña will be fending off a full-blown alien invasion.
That’s according to The Hollywood Reporter, revealing that Universal has today scooped up distribution rights for Extinction, Ben Young’s (Hounds Of Love) sci-fi thriller in which Peña will star as an average man trying to protect is family from invading extra-terrestrials and maybe, just maybe, save the world in the process. It’s a role that was once earmarked for James McAvoy (X-Men: Apocalypse, Split), but news that Peña is circling back to drama-oriented material, particularly after impressing across the David Ayer brace of End of Watch and Fury, is exciting in and of itself.
Little is known about the plot of Extinction at this early, early stage, but it seems Michael Peña’s lead will uncover some form of supernatural power to fight against those pesky aliens. Perhaps his unnamed character harbors a connection with the far-flung visitors? Either way, THR goes on to point out that Eric Heisserer (Arrival, Lights Out), Spenser Cohen (Moonfall) and Bradley Caleb Kane all contributed to the film’s screenplay. An April shoot is on the cards, meaning Universal – who is teaming with Good Universe and Mandeville Films on the project – will no doubt announce additional casting news over the coming weeks and months.
Extinction is officially a go at Universal, and will be ushered in front of the cameras in time for April. Beyond that, Michael Peña has also nailed down roles in Disney’s A Wrinkle in Time, The LEGO Ninjago Movie and Marvel sequel Ant-Man and the Wasp.