Given what’s been going on in her personal life recently, this is probably not the best time for Reese Witherspoon to be in talks to star in a film called Passengers. Yet in talks she is, looking to sign on to appear alongside Keanu Reeves in the sci-fi tale{
Set years in the future on a long-range spaceship intended to seed another world with human beings, Passengers follows what happens when a computer glitch accidentally awakens one man (Reeves) from cryogenic sleep 90 years before everyone else.
Faced with spending the rest of his life alone in a godless universe and possibly out of Shake ‘n’ Vac, our hero decides to wake a female companion (Witherspoon, if she makes a deal) to ensure the years are less agonizing. Bet she’s not going to be too pleased…
Middletown and Game Of Thrones director Brian Kirk is aboard to direct, working from a script by Prometheus originator Jon Spaihts. This one has been trudging through a long development process, hiring then losing at least one other director (Seven Pounds**’ Gabriele Muccino) and going very quiet for months on end. There’s no set date to kick off shooting yet, but it’ll apparently film in Montreal.
Witherspoon will next be seen in Jeff Nichols’ Mud (due May 10) alongside Matthew McConaughey. She also has West Memphis Three drama Devil’s Knot and The Good Lie awaiting release.