The Social Network Author Ben Mezrich's THE LAST ORBIT Turns an Asteroid Threat into a High-Stakes Movie Event with Director Matt Shakman
If you’re into space thrillers with a touch of reality, this one’s going to grab your attention. There’s actually an asteroid out there right now with a slim chance of colliding with Earth.
That idea is enough to spark a story, and now it has. The writer behind one of the most iconic tech dramas ever made is diving into cosmic danger with a brand-new project that’s already headed for Hollywood.
Ben Mezrich, the author whose book The Accidental Billionaires became The Social Network, is gearing up to release a new novel called The Last Orbit. But here’s the fun part, the movie adaptation is already in motion before the book even hits shelves.
Mezrich has built a reputation for turning real-world stories into gripping page-turners that translate perfectly to film. Along with The Accidental Billionaires, he wrote Bringing Down the House, which became 21, and The Antisocial Network, which inspired Dumb Money.
This time though, he’s stepping away from straight nonfiction and leaning into speculative storytelling rooted in real science.
The story centers on asteroid 2024 YR4, which, yes, actually exists. Scientists have been tracking it, and while the odds are low, there is currently about a 4% chance it could hit Earth in 2032.
Those odds might sound small, but they’re not exactly comforting either. That uneasy “what if?” is exactly what fuels Mezrich’s new story.
Instead of going full sci-fi spectacle, The Last Orbit asks a more grounded question. If an asteroid like this were truly on a collision course, what could humanity realistically do about it? It’s got shades of Armageddon, but with a stronger connection to real-world science and plausible outcomes.
Even though the book isn’t set to be published until early 2027, the film adaptation is already picking up serious momentum.
TriStar Pictures has secured the rights, and the project has landed a director with major franchise experience. Matt Shakman, who helmed The Fantastic Four: First Steps, is set to direct. The screenplay is being handled by Josh Friedman, known for his work on Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.
There’s no release timeline yet, so don’t expect this one to land anytime soon. For a bit of perspective, Project Hail Mary, another novel-to-film space story, took about six years to make the jump to theaters. So yeah, this could be a bit of a wait.
Still, the concept alone makes this one worth tracking. We’ll definitely be keeping an eye on this one… and maybe the sky too.
Source: Deadline