Despite the global lockdown of theaters, Hollywood is trying to carry on with business as usual. To that end, Sony Pictures has acquired the rights to Daniel Suarez’s 2014 sci-fi novelInflux. Director David S.F. Wilson, who was behind this year’s Vin Diesel starrerBloodshot, will be helming the project.
Influxtells thetale of a future dystopian society. A shadowy branch of the government known as the Bureau of Technology Control keeps an eye on paradigm-shifting technological progress and keeps major new inventions out of the hands of the common public in order to avoid social upheaval. Instead, major new inventions are reserved for the benefit of a select few among the society’s circle of elites.
Enter physicist Jon Grady, whose team has discovered a revolutionary new method of reflecting gravity through the use of a special device. After the Bureau offers Grady the chance to join them, he refuses and is thrown into a high-tech prison along with other rebel thinkers of his time. Now Grady and his fellow prisoners must find a way to escape, and expose the machinations of the Bureau before time runs out. The novel is a mystery-thriller with a strong action core that deals with themes of government overreach.
The rights to the novel were sold based on asuccessful pitch to Sony. Zak Olkwicz will be adapting the screenplay for the movie from the novel, with Escape Artist’s Todd Black, Steve Tisch, Jason Blumenthal, and Tony Shaw producing the feature. Wilson and Olkewicz are repped by 3 Arts Entertainment. Suarez is repped by ICM Partners.
WithBloodshot, directorDavid S.F. Wilsonhas already proven that he is adept at telling a sci-fi action tale. The movie was based on the superhero character of Ray Garrison, created by Valiant Comics, a former soldier who suffers a life-threatening accident.
The medical procedure which saves Garrison’s life also imbues his blood with nano-robots that constantly heal his body, allowing him to recover from the most devastating injuries. This sets the stage for a gritty superhero caper where Garrison embarks on a mission of vengeance against the men responsible for the murder of his wife.
For Wilson, his previous collaboration with Sony onBloodshotwas a profitable one, with the film making a strong showing at the box office for the limited time it was in theaters before the lockdown began. The film then debuted digitally on VOD and was the top of the charts on most streaming platforms for several days.
It remains to be seen if the amount of profitBloodshotwill eventually make will be deemed enough to warrant sequels. After all, the movie was supposed to be a test run of sorts, with plans of establishing an entire Valiant Comics movie universe full of other heroes from the comics franchise as well. Rumors are already doing the rounds that another Valiant Comics character, X-O Manowar will also be making his film debut, possibly played by John Cena. This news comes fromDeadline.
