One of the most striking genre projects currently taking shape has just added another recognizable lead. The film already has a memorable title and a strong horror pedigree, but its latest casting update suggests the team behind it are aiming for a blend of star power and genre credibility.
Deadline reports that Dave Franco has joined Sophie Wilde in the alien invasion thriller Soon You Will Be Gone and Possibly Eaten, which is being directed by Ego Abramenko, the filmmaker behind Sputnik and the upcoming A24 horror movie Alter. The film is being described as a high-concept take on the alien invasion genre.
Franco is an interesting fit on paper. The actor has moved comfortably between studio projects and darker material in recent years, while Wilde arrives with some serious horror cachet already, thanks to Talk To Me and more recent attention from Babygirl. Pairing the two gives the project a more contemporary feel without leaning entirely on one established franchise name.
A24
The screenplay comes from Luke Piotrowski and Ben Collins, the writing team behind Hulu’s 2022 Hellraiser reboot and Searchlight’s The Night House. It’s based on a short story by Nick Antosca, whose own credits include Channel Zero and Cape Fear. It’s a creative lineup that suggests a film aiming for something more unsettling than your average invasion spectacle, especially given the writers’ recent work in psychologically driven horror.
The full extent of the plot is seemingly being kept back, but what we do know is that the story follows a young, engaged couple, Rob and Sabile, who travel to a secluded mountain resort for their wedding, only for their celebration to be interrupted when “unexpected guests” crash the ceremony. The setup immediately sounds intriguing and commercial, and leaves plenty of room for the film to veer into survival horror, relationship politics, or even full sci-fi horror depending on how Abramenko approaches the material.
Dave Franco as Tim Brassington in TogetherNeon
One of the more interesting production details could be telling — the alien designs are being handled by Armenian visual effects house Monkey Rave, whose past credits include Halo and Locke & Key. That’s good news for the creature work, which should feel distinction in a movie like this.
Production is scheduled to begin this summer, with the project launching for sales at Cannes. Everything suggests that the film has some real confidence behind it, especially for a genre title that’s not tied to any existing IP or franchise. With Franco now on board, Soon You Will Be Gone And Possibly Eaten looks like a project worth keeping an eye on as production gets underway.