According to The Hollywood Reporter, legendary helmer Robert Zemeckis is in final talks with Warner Bros. to direct the sci-fi thriller Ares. The Oscar-winner is behind hits like Forrest Gump, the Back to the Future Trilogy, Cast Away and Flight. This will be his second big sci-fi film for Warners after 1997’s Contact.
RELATED: Robert Zemeckis in Talks to Direct Disney’s Live-Action Pinocchio!
Here’s the synopses for Ares: The story tells of an astronaut whose space capsule crash lands in an African desert. As he rushes to reunite with his family, it is revealed that the mission was part of a larger conspiracy and that he may be carrying a secret that could forever change the world.
The original project, described as “genre-bending,” was penned by Captain Marvel scribe Geneva Robertson-Dworet and was originally set up at MGM with Roland Emmerich and his Centropolis Entertainment producing. Emmerich will now be credited as an executive producer. Zemeckis will also produce with his ImageMovers partner Jack Rapke alongside Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich of Rideback as well as Kristin Winkler and Aaron Boyd.
Zemeckis is currently in post-production on his adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The Witches for Warners, and that Anne Hathaway starrer will hit screens on October 9. He is also concurrently developing a live-action take on Pinocchio for Disney, and it is unclear whether that or Ares will shoot next.
His last film was 2018’s Steve Carell psychodramedy Welcome to Marwen, which bombed out at $10 million domestic and 35% on Rotten Tomatoes.
(Photo Credit: Getty Images)
