EXCLUSIVE: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. actress Mallory Jansen and Emmy and Tony Award winner Anthony LaPaglia are boarding Alex Proyas‘ upcoming sci-fi satire R.U.R. opposite Lindsay Farris (Ash vs Evil Dead).
Cameras roll on Oct. 21 in Sydney, Australia.
Proyas penned the screenplay which is an adaptation of Karel Capek famous science fiction play R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots), published in 1920. R.U.R. follows Helena, played by Jansen, who visits the island factory of Rossum’s Universal Robots to emancipate the robots from capitalist exploitation, with catastrophic results.
Proyas is the filmmaker behind the $353M-grossing Will Smith 2004 summer hit I, Robot.
The film is being produced by Proyas, Morris Ruskin (Glengarry Glen Ross, Ladies In Black), former CAA agent Adam Krentzman, Steven Matusko (Infini, The Osiris Child) and Brett Thornquest (Better Watch Out, Bloody Hell). EPs are Matthew Rhodes (Cherry, Bloodshot) of The Hideaway Entertainment, Rohit Khanna, and Alasdair King of Icon Film.
Pre-production is underway at Heretic Foundation’s VFX facilities with Andrew Robinson (Mad Max: Fury Road), EP of Heretic leading the way.
“Karel Capek’s play is about man abusing technology, which is even more potent now, so I’m thrilled to be bringing this story to audiences today,” said Proyas.
The word “robot” became part of everyday vocabulary after Čapek introduced the word in his play that went on to be a global hit. By 1923, the play had been translated into 30 languages. In 1922, Spencer Tracy starred in the Garrick Theater production on Broadway. Capek was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature seven times.
“Alex has written a wild, visionary and imaginative adaptation that we are already seeing coming to life in pre-production,” said MoJo Global Arts CEO Ruskin.
Krentzman added, “I was honored to represent Alex for 20 years, and now even more so as a producing/business partner. This an exceptionally imaginative and timely project.”
Jansen who was a series regular on FOX’s dance-themed dramedy The Big Leap, and starred for a season in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. She was also a series regular in Dan Fogelman’s musical series Galavant.
LaPaglia won a Tony Award for Best Actor in a Play for his portrayal of Eddie Carbone in the 1997 Broadway revival of A View from the Bridge, and a 2002 Primetime Emmy Award in the Guest Actor Comedy Series category for his turn as Simon Moon on the television sitcom Frasier. LaPaglia starred for 160 episodes on CBS’ Without a Trace. Recently LaPaglia starred on the Netflix limited series Florida Man and Boy Swallows Universe.
Proyas is represented by David Gersh & Mark Hartogsohn of The Gersh Agency. Jansen is repped by Devon Jackson of Trademark Talent, Innovative Artists and Independent Management Company in Australia. Mike Abrams of Constellation Management did the deal on behalf of LaPaglia. Rhodes and Khanna were represented by Christian Simonds at Reed Smith, LLP.
