After breaking audience’s hearts in “12 Years a Slave,” inspiring them in “Black Panther,” and terrifying them in “Us,” it looks like the Lupita Nyong’o is poised to bring the laughs. The Oscar winner is re-teaming with her “Little Monsters” writer-director Abe Forsythe before their first collaboration even hits theaters. She’s signed on to topline and produce his next feature, an untitled sci-fi comedy that Universal Pictures won in an auction. Deadline broke the news.
Originally pitched as “Miss Universe,” the pic, which is described as “‘Men In Black’ meets ‘Miss Congeniality,'” won’t be released under that title.
Made Up Stories’ Bruna Papandrea, who served as a producer on “Little Monsters,” will also produce the project. She just received a series order from Hulu for Nicole Kidman-starrer “Nine Perfect Strangers,” an adaptation of a novel by “Big Little Lies” author Liane Moriarty. Papandrea’s an exec producer on HBO’s award-winning series adaptation of “BLL,” led by Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, and Shailene Woodley.
“Little Monsters” made its world premiere at Sundance in January, and was scooped up by NEON and Hulu. The horror comedy sees Nyong’o playing a teacher struggling to protect children from an outbreak of zombies. No word on a release date.
