Oscar Isaac Joins Alex Garland's Annihilation, Not Even Most Exciting Part
Thursday, March 31, 2016 at 10:00AM 
One would be forgiven for thinking a movie called Annihilation sounds a little too close for comfort to a cataclysmic retread in the vein of Batman v. Superman. And if someone told you that all signs currently point to Oscar Isaac joining the cast, you’d politely let them know that they must be thinking of the also very loud sounding X-Men: Apocalypse, where he’ll join fellow motion captors and prosthetic prisoners Lupita Nyong’o, Josh Brolin, and Idris Elba in what sounds like the cell to be! in franchise jail. But no earplugs necessary, just your rapt attention, because Annihilation is writer/director Alex Garland’s follow-up feature to Ex Machina and a rousing science fiction thriller by the sound of it. Per Variety - not only is Isaac set to partner up for another dance with the director but join what is already shaping up to be the most promising and diverse fist pump of an ensemble for a 2017 release.
On second thought: maybe hold onto those earplugs. While no one can hear you scream in space, here on Earth the names “Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tessa Thompson, and Gina Rodriguez” are enough to break the sound barrier. Annihilation, based on Jeff VanderMeer’s novel of the same name, tracks the expedition of a four-woman team charting a mysterious territory chocked full with deadly unknowns of both chemical and zoological varieties. Portman is set to play the biologist – whose husband (Isaac) may or may not be dead – while the other three top-tier actresses will gear up as an anthropologist, surveyor, and psychologist. Point me to the nearest fainting couch!
Where to begin. How about the mere fact that Black Swan, Amy Archer, Sam White, and Jane the Virgin are about to do a Mission Movie together that promises a journey into the unknown packed with scares and science? This could be the Ghostbusters of paranoid, alliance shifting, contamination adventure movies. Television’s brightest shining star, and reliably sharp eye of the storm, Gina Rodriguez is one big screen smash away from the boundless stardom she’s projected since before her Golden Globes speech. Tessa Thompson perfected the art of cool and detached authority in Creed and Dear White People, so she’s a no-brainer for this crew. And Isaac? He’s just the cherry on top of the sundae.
Which of this beloved quintet would you most want watching your back while on expedition?
Reader Comments (10)
Yes! Thrilled for Rodriguez and Thompson! Such amazing actresses who both grounded and made their recent projects soar. Fantastic talents, can't wait to see what they do together.
The level of excitement I have for this film is already so high and then to have Oscar Isaac added to the cast just nearly knocked me down.
i'm just weeping @ this cast, honestly. i'm so excited. and what a treat knowing that we have a rising director whom we can count on for interesting, multi-dimensional stories
The cast is great but let's not kid ourselves - Garland is the real draw here
Awesome that Gina Rodriguez is getting a big-screen role with a great director.
I'm wondering if this was the film that Tilda and Julianne were rumored to be considered for?
if "watching your back" is the euphemism i think it is, the answer is obviously oscar
This sounds fantastic!! Can't wait
I had no idea Oscar had joined this film. I didn't think I could be even more excited for it!
I JUST finished this book and it's astonishing. And it's a actress-lovers dream! As I read it, I imagined Cherry Jones as the psychologist but Leigh is a great choice. I'll be honest that I think Portman doesn't strike me as the right fit for the biologist -- she's too frail for a character that is elusive and steely. And I'll add to the chorus of folks excited about Rodriguez and Thompson (the latter of whom I don't know quite so well).
I agree with RV that Natalie Portman is an odd casting choice. I was praying for Emily Blunt, who would have been utter perfection, especially for the ways in which the character of the biologist plays out in the rest of the trilogy...but I'll take it. It could be a challenge for her.
Jennifer Jason Leigh is also not what I imagined, but I think it's an interesting casting choice that will be rewarding!
The character of the husband wasn't too fleshed out in the books, but I hope they'll find a way to incorporate Oscar.
I'd also recommend this trilogy to anyone. I couldn't set any of the books down and lost a lot of sleep when I was reading them lol. They are that good.