The “X-Men” franchise keeps him in steady employment, but it’s a while since James McAvoy has had a real critical and commercial hit on his own. “The Last King Of Scotland” and “Wanted” launched him a decade or so ago, but more recently films like “Victor Frankenstein,” “The Disappearance Of Eleanor Rigby,” “Filth” and “Trance” have either sadly failed to find audiences, or deservedly failed to find audiences.
READ MORE: First Trailer For M. Night Shyamalan’s ‘Split’ Starring James McAvoy
M. Night Shyamalan’s new film “Split” should provide him with a good showcase, as a kidnapper with multiple personality disorder, and he’ll star in spy actioner “The Coldest City” with Charlize Theron next summer, but McAvoy’s just signed on to a project that could give him a big solo boost away with his bald-cap and wheelchair.
According to Deadline, McAvoy will headline sci-fi movie “Extinction,” which confusingly, the trade say is about both a man haunted by nightmares who becomes an earth-saving hero, and a father who realizes he is a robot that can feel emotion, and leads a rebellion. Is this the same story? Or did some wires get crossed here?
Any way around, it’s original sci-fi, which is always pleasing, and the presence of “Arrival” writer Eric Heisserer among the scribes is a good thing. The film’s currently looking for a director, but once they find one, we imagine it’ll be moving forward fairly quickly.