Brie Larson is going from Marvel to monster. The MCU star will play the lead — and the creature — in Fail-Safe, a new horror film from producer J.J. Abrams. Deadline reports that the film is set to be directed by Strange Darling‘s JT Mollner.
Fail-Safe will be told from the perspective of a young boy who comes to realize that his loving parents are hiding something from him…and that his mother (Larson) has a big, terrifying secret. The title comes from a special panic room in their house which contains her during her transformations. It is based on a 2017 short story of the same name by Philip Fracassi, which will be adapted for the screen by Brian Duffield (No One Will Save You). Says Abrams, “…having the limitlessly talented Brie Larson as our star sets up Fail-Safe to be that rare horror film that makes you laugh, feel, and care, before taking you on an absolutely wild ride.” Producer Drew Simon (Novocaine) likewise waxed rhapsodic about Larson‘s transformation for the film, stating “I’m beyond excited to see Brie take on this role – it’s frightening, emotionally charged, and so different from anything she’s done before. The depth and intensity this character demands is immense, and I know Brie’s going to bring something unforgettable to the screen.”
Who Is Brie Larson?
Larson played supporting roles in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and 21 Jump Street before breaking out in the indie drama Short Term 12; she followed that up with Room, which netted her the Academy Award for Best Actress. She was cast as the MCU hero Captain Marvel, and has subsequently played the character in several films, including the billion-dollar grossers Captain Marvel and Avengers: Endgame, and 2023’s The Marvels. In 2023, she starred in the Apple TV+ miniseries Lessons in Chemistry, playing a scientist turned cooking-show host, earning her an Emmy nomination. She is currently making her London stage debut, playing the title character in Sophocles‘ Elektra. While Fail-Safe may be her first time playing a monster, she ended up on a whole island of them in 2017’s Kong: Skull Island, an early entry in Legendary‘s MonsterVerse.
While Abrams may have had a brief hiatus after completing the Star Wars sequel trilogy with The Rise of Skywalker, he’s back in a big way. His 1970s-set crime thriller Duster premiered on Max this week, and he’s gearing up to shoot a new film with Glen Powell and Jenna Ortega.
Fail-Safe is in development; no additional casting or release date have yet been announced.
via Collider