EXCLUSIVE: James McAvoy has been circling the sci-fi thriller/action picture Extinction for Good Universe and Mandeville Films. The story, which is one that seems to work on many levels as good sci-fi does, follows a man haunted by nightmares in which his wife is assaulted and who becomes a hero when Earth is invaded by an army bent on destruction. McAvoy, who has previously co-starred in several X-Men films (most recently Apocalypse) and is said to be a big sci-fi fan, would play a father and chief mechanic at a factory who realizes those invading might not be what he expected.
David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman are two of the producers on the film which has had a number of writers on it, including Brad Caleb Kane (Marco Polo) and Spenser Cohen and Eric Heisserer. The project is currently in development and producers are looking for the right director.
McAvoy, who came on the scene in a major way ten years ago with his performance in The Last King of Scotland and followed that up with another critically-acclaimed turn in Atonement, just finished The Coldest City with Charlize Theron. He has clearly been balancing his acting skills between both commercial and critical fare and doing exceptionally well in both.
He is repped by UTA and United Artists in the U.K.
Subscribe to Deadline Breaking News Alerts and keep your inbox happy.