Mahershala Ali To Star In Sci-Fi Film ‘Sovereign’ From 21 Laps And eOne

Fresh off his Oscar win for Green Book, Mahershala Ali is diving into the sci-fi world in the upcoming Entertainment One film Sovereign. Details about the plot are being kept under wraps, but it will be directed by Marc Munden (Utopia) and produced by eOne along with 21 Laps Entertainment’s Shawn Levy, Dan Levine and Dan Cohen.

Munden will direct a screenplay from A Quiet Place scribes Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. An original draft was written by Greg Weidman and Geoff Tock, with revisions by Jack Thorne. eOne will also finance the film.

“We have long loved this project and have been patiently waiting until we found the right leading actor, which we no doubt have found in the incredibly talented Mahershala Ali,” said Nick Meyer, eOne’s President of Film, in a release Wednesday. “The cast is clearly shaping up well and is backed by a creative team with a proven track record and the ability to tell a story that will resonate with audiences around the world.”

“Much like our film Arrival, this project is for us a dream pairing of an inspired screenplay with a truly visionary director. Marc Munden has been an exceptional collaborator in shaping this singular story into one that jumps off the page and with the phenomenally talented Mahershala Ali at the heart of this film, we feel we now have the dream creative partners to tell a story that audiences won’t forget,” said Levy, Levine and Cohen. The trio also produced the Netflix’s uber-popular sci-fi ’80s romp Stranger Things.

Ali is no stranger to the sci-fi and fantasy world. He most recently showcased his sci-fi chops in Fox’s Alita: Battle Angel and also starred in the Academy Award-winning Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. He also appeared in Luke Cage as well as The Hunger Games franchise. In addition to winning the Oscar for Green Book, he won the Academy Award for his role in Barry Jenkins’ Best Picture winner Moonlight.

Ali is repped by WME, Anonymous Content and Sloane, Offer, Weber and Dern. Beck and Woods are repped by ICM Partners and Anonymous Content. Munden is repped by WME and Independent Talent Group.