The Daniels have been hard at work on their follow-up to their lauded sci-fi film Everything Everywhere All at Once. The directing duo’s last feature film was nominated for a staggering 11 Academy Awards, winning seven, including Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Picture. Their next effort appears to have an equally complex plot, with new details emerging alongside Daniels’ replacement for Ryan Gosling.
Gosling’s involvement in the upcoming sci-fi action thriller was announced in March, which was exciting casting news following the actor’s monumental box-office triumph, Project Hail Mary. Sadly, Gosling exited the project shortly after, with THR reporting that the actor was looking to beef up his role. While the directors weren’t opposed to the idea, it would have delayed production, which the film couldn’t afford. With Gosling out, the search for a replacement began, with several names in contention, including reports that Jack Black was being considered. However, the directors pivoted to another impeccable choice: Matt Damon.
According to THR, Matt Damon is in talks to replace Ryan Gosling in Daniels’ next movie. The role is described as a father to one of the central teens the story focuses on. Given the plot details, it will likely be a supporting role, bolstered by casting a big-name star. Damon has Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey hitting theaters in July, which is poised to be one of the year’s biggest movies, much like Project Hail Mary. There’s also an irony in casting Damon after Gosling. Gosling was fresh off starring in a successful Andy Weir adaptation, with the author’s last hit adaptation, The Martian, starring Damon.
More to come…
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
