Key Points
- Zendaya will star in an untitled science-fiction feature written and directed by Alex Garland for A24.
- The film is set to shoot in 2027, with plot details withheld by the studio.
- The casting extends Zendaya's run with A24 after Euphoria and the $135 million hit The Drama.
The latest:
Zendaya is returning to science fiction, boarding an untitled feature that Alex Garland will write and direct for A24, Variety reported. The film is scheduled to begin shooting in 2027. No plot details have been released, and the project remains untitled, leaving Garland’s next genre outing one of the few major A24 titles still without a public premise.
Details:
- The casting: Zendaya has joined the untitled project as its star, according to Variety. It marks her return to science fiction after the Dune franchise, whose third installment, Denis Villeneuve’s final entry set on Arrakis, is dated for release on Dec. 16.
- The timeline: Production is set for 2027, Variety reported. No release date has been announced and no distribution window has been disclosed, placing the film behind several Garland and A24 titles already locked into the calendar.
- The A24 history: The film continues a working relationship between Zendaya and A24 that includes Euphoria, which ended after three seasons earlier this year, and The Drama, the dark dramedy opposite Robert Pattinson that earned nearly $135 million worldwide.
- Garland and A24: A24 produced and distributed Garland’s Ex Machina, Civil War, Men and Warfare, according to Variety. The studio is also behind his upcoming big-budget Elden Ring video game adaptation, making the untitled sci-fi at least his sixth project with the company.
- The Elden Ring film: Shooting on the Elden Ring adaptation wrapped on July 30, with release set for March 2028. The cast includes Kit Connor, Cailee Spaeny, Ben Whishaw, Nick Offerman and Tom Burke.
- Her 2026 slate: Alongside The Drama, Zendaya appeared in two of 2026’s biggest releases, The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day, both of which broke box office records, Variety reported.
- The 28 Years fallout: Danny Boyle said at the London Film Festival that Garland had written a script for a third 28 Years Later, but that Garland was now occupied with Elden Ring. The project, Boyle said, is “on the back burner at the moment.”
- Garland’s genre record: Garland’s science-fiction work spans Ex Machina, the Netflix feature Annihilation and the FX series Devs. He also wrote 28 Days Later and reunited with Boyle on 28 Years Later and its sequel, The Bone Temple.
Background:
Garland built his screen career on genre, writing 28 Days Later before moving into directing with Ex Machina. His recent output widened into war and political territory with Civil War and Warfare, both released through A24.
Between the lines:
The new sci-fi stacks a second major commitment on top of Elden Ring, the project Boyle identified as the reason the third 28 Years Later stalled. With Garland’s slate filling through 2027 and Elden Ring not arriving until March 2028, the schedule pressure Boyle described appears unlikely to ease soon.
What’s next
Watch for a title, cast additions and a release window from A24, plus any update from Boyle on the third 28 Years Later. Dune: Part Three opens Dec. 16, and the Elden Ring adaptation is dated March 2028.
