THE MUPPETS Director James Bobin to Direct The Sci-Fi Film THE PUNCH ESCROW
The producing team behind Disney's Beauty and the Beast and the director of The Muppets James Bobin are developing a feature film adaptation of the sci-fi novel The Punch Escrow.
The sci-fi thriller is set in the year 2147, and it tells the story of a character named Joel Byram, who works on training artificial-intelligence engines to act more human. Then one day he's accidentally duplicated while teleporting. There is a shadowy organization that controls teleportation and Joel is put in a position where he has to outsmart them and find a way to get back to the woman he loves in a world where two of him exist.
This sounds like a fascinating sci-fi story that could make a great movie! Here's a more detailed description from the Tal M. Klein novel that was published by Geek & Sundry on July 25, 2017:
It’s the year 2147. Advancements in nanotechnology have enabled us to control aging. We’ve genetically engineered mosquitoes to feast on carbon fumes instead of blood, ending air pollution. And teleportation has become the ideal mode of transportation, offered exclusively by International Transport—the world’s most powerful corporation, in a world controlled by corporations.
Joel Byram spends his days training artificial-intelligence engines to act more human and trying to salvage his deteriorating marriage. He’s pretty much an everyday twenty-second century guy with everyday problems—until he’s accidentally duplicated while teleporting.
Now Joel must outsmart the shadowy organization that controls teleportation, outrun the religious sect out to destroy it, and find a way to get back to the woman he loves in a world that now has two of him.
Producer Todd Lieberman had this to say in a statement:
“Tal has crafted such a uniquely vivid world that compels us to ask critical questions of our own about our relationship with technology. And he does it with such ease, accessibility, and humor that you leave the read feeling educated, emotionally moved and highly entertained all at the same time.”
I'm looking forward to seeing how this movie turns out! I think Bobin is a solid choice to direct. On top of the Muppet films, he's also worked on Alice Through the Looking Glass, Da Ali G Show, and Flight of the Concords.
Source: THR