EXCLUSIVE: Eiza González (Baby Driver) and Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) are attached to star in sci-fi thriller Ash, the sophomore feature from producer, rapper and filmmaker Flying Lotus (Kuso).
Paul and González will replace Tessa Thompson and Joseph Gordon-Levitt who were previously announced last summer.
Gonzalez will play a woman who wakes up on a distant planet and finds the crew of her space station viciously killed. She must decide whether she can trust the man (Paul) sent to rescue her.
Flying Lotus is also set to compose an original score, with production due to start in New Zealand in May.
Based on an original screenplay by Jonni Remmler, XYZ Films and GFC Films are producing, with Neill Blomkamp (District 9) and Echo Lake onboard as exec producers. XYZ Films is co-financing alongside IPR.VC.
Baby Driver and Ambulance actress González will next be seen in Benioff and Weiss series Three Body Problem for Netflix and is currently filming Ministry Of Ungentlemanly Warfare from Guy Ritchie and Jerry Bruckheimer.
Paul recently starred in Sundance sci-fi Dual, and is best known for ACM’s Breaking Bad and HBO’s Westworld.
XYZ and GFC previously worked together on New Zealand Oscar entry The Dead Lands and 6 Days, starring Jamie Bell, Mark Strong and Abbie Cornish.
Grammy winner Flying Lotus has six albums under his belt and made his feature directorial debut on Sundance movie Kuso. An alumnus of The Los Angeles Film School, last year he executive-produced and scored Netflix anime series Yasuke, starring LaKeith Stanfield, and he most recently wrote, directed and scored a segment for the latest installment of the anthology franchise V/H/S/99.
“We are building something fresh and unique with Ash and having Eiza and Aaron in this world just makes it flames. They are absolute magic makers, brave and equally inspiring. All that to say… We ‘bout to kill this shit,” said Flying Lotus.
Matthew Metcalfe and Nate Bolotin stated: “At the helm of the visionary artist Flying Lotus, and now in collaboration with the incredibly talented Eiza González and Aaron Paul, we are excited to embark on this journey to bring the unique world of Ash to life.”
Gonzalez is repped by CAA, Linden Entertainment and Jackoway Austen. Paul is repped by UTA.