PULP FICTION Writer Roger Avary Takes On PARADISE LOST With AI Studio Ex Machina in Ambitious Biblical Epic
Roger Avary is stepping up to the challenge, bringing John Milton’s legendary poem Paradise Lost to life with a modern twist that will lean into AI-powered filmmaking. The Oscar-winning co-writer of Pulp Fiction is set to write and direct a feature adaptation for Ex Machina Studios, and this one sounds massive in scope.
Milton’s 1667 poem has a reputation. It’s dense, philosophical, and packed with imagery that jumps from celestial warfare to the creation of humanity itself.
Filmmakers have tried to crack it before, including a scrapped version from Alex Proyas that once had Bradley Cooper attached. Now Avary is taking his shot, and he’s doing it with tools that didn’t exist the last time Hollywood circled this story.
The project is being produced by Marco Weber, co-founder and CEO of Ex Machina, with Kirk Petruccelli on board as executive producer. K5 International is gearing up to launch sales at Cannes, and it’s a serious play in the global market.
The producers describe the film as “the ultimate faith-based heroic saga: a cosmic war in the heavens where the charismatic, rebellious archangel Lucifer defies God, is hurled into the abyss of Hell, and vows revenge on all creation.
“From the fiery lake of damnation, Lucifer rises as Satan to seduce humanity’s first parents, Adam and Eve, in the flawless Garden of Eden, triggering the Fall of Man and the loss of Paradise itself.
“At its core, Paradise Lost asks the question every generation must answer: When faced with reckoning and crisis, do we obey, rebel, or redeem?”
The kind of epic scale of a movie like this usually comes with a price tag that scares studios off. That’s where Ex Machina’s approach comes in. The company says its proprietary AI tech allows filmmakers to build massive worlds without losing control of the budget, while still keeping real actors and human storytelling front and center. It’s an interesting pitch, especially at a time when AI in film is sparking as much debate as excitement.
Avary isn’t new to adapting epic poetry either. He previously co-wrote Beowulf for Robert Zemeckis, and he’s also known for scripting Silent Hill and directing Killing Zoe. His last film as a director was Lucky Day, but it sounds like this new project is something he’s been building toward for a while.
Avary. explained: “Beowulf was a revisionist reimagining made on a massive budget, but with Paradise Lost I’m taking a more faithful approach at a fraction of the cost, using cutting-edge generative AI to bring Milton’s vision to life in ways unimaginable just a few years ago.”
He continued: “This project brings together everything I’ve learned as a filmmaker and proves that powerful storytelling doesn’t require blockbuster budgets, but the right tools and team.
“Partnering with Ex Machina and Marco Weber, we’ve created something I believe will move audiences, spark conversations, and remind us why we tell stories in the first place — to wrestle with what it means to be human in the face of the divine. I’m grateful for the opportunity to share it with the world.”
Weber is clearly all-in on the collaboration, adding: “Roger Avary and Milton. Not much more that needs to be said. We are really excited about this one and cannot wait to see it come to life.”
There’s no cast yet and no production start date locked in, but the ambition is obvious. If Avary and Ex Machina can pull this off, Paradise Lost might finally get the cinematic treatment it’s been waiting centuries for, with a blend of old-school storytelling and new-school tech driving it forward.
We’ll have to wait and see how this turns out.
Source: Deadline