It really does feel as if it’s been a minute since Ron Howard has directed a beloved film. His most recent films, “Hillbilly Elegy” and “Thirteen Lives,” both had big awards season aspirations but seemed to fall short. Then there’s the whole “Solo: A Star Wars Story” debacle. All that to say, Howard, over the past few decades, has been one of the most consistently commercial directors we’ve had. But he just hasn’t really connected with an audience on something in a while. Maybe that’ll all change with “Eden.”
According to Deadline, though it was previously announced back in May as the film, “Origin of the Species,” it appears Ron Howard’s next project has been retitled “Eden,” but it still has one of the best all-star casts around. Originally, the film was expected to star Alicia Vikander, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Ana de Armas, Jude Law, and Danile Brühl. However, it appears the retitling of the film comes with a couple of changes to the cast. Vikander and Edgar-Jones are no longer attached, and they will be replaced by Vanessa Kirby and Sydney Sweeney, respectively.
Kirby is next going to be seen co-starring alongside Joaquin Phoenix in Ridley Scott’s “Napoleon.” Sweeney, on the other hand, is set to star opposite Glen Powell in the rom-com “Anyone But You.”
“Eden” is expected to tell the story of an eclectic group of people who venture to the Galapagos Islands to abandon civilization and begin anew. The film is described as a darkly comic tale of murder and survival. Also joining the project is acclaimed composer Hans Zimmer, who will write the music. Zimmer and Howard are no stranger to each other, having collaborated for decades on numerous films.
It’s unclear when we might see “Eden” get released. However, the film is expected to begin production in November.