Riz Ahmed & Octavia Spencer Join Sci-Fi Thriller From 'Beast' Director Michael Pearce For Amazon

There is some exciting casting news for sci-fi fans coming from Amazon today. It’s been announced that Riz Ahmed and Octavia Spencer will star in the upcoming sci-fi thriller “Invasion.” The film is written and directed by promising new director Michael Pearce.

READ MORE: George Clooney Directing Coming-Of-Age Film ‘The Tender Bar’ For Amazon

“Invasion” tells the story of two young brothers and their father, who are being pursued by some unknown, vicious threat. Forced on the run, the young boys must put their trust in their father and learn to grapple with their new reality as their situation becomes progressively peril. Riz Ahmed will play the father, who is a decorated Marine. Spencer’s role is currently unknown.

Michael Pearce is directing the film, from a script that he and Joe Barton (Netflix’s “The Ritual”) co-wrote. In 2018, Pearce’s “Beast” was released courtesy of Roadside Attractions and 30WEST following its buzzy 2017 premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. With “Beast,” Pearce showcased his strength with dark, grim material, all while complicating his subjective narrative storytelling with impressive character work. “Beast” stars Jessie Buckley, giving a breakthrough performance. The film earned Pearce the BAFTA for Outstanding Debut.

Later this year, Riz Ahmed can be seen in “Sound of Metal,” which will be released by Amazon. He also co-wrote and stars in “Mogul Mowgli,” which premiered earlier this year at the Berlin International Film Festival and is still looking for distribution.

Octavia Spencer is coming hot off her severely underrated performance in “Luce” as well as her Emmy-nominated performance in “Self-Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam CJ Walker.” Still in the pipeline for Spencer is the second season of her Apple TV+ series “Truth Be Told” along with Netflix’s “Thunder Force” in which she will share the screen with Melissa McCarthy.

READ MORE: Michael B. Jordan’s ‘Without Remorse’: Paramount Sells Tom Clancy Thriller To Amazon

“Invasion” is produced by Dimitri Doganis, Piers Vellacott, and Derrin Schlesinge for Raw. Amazon has procured worldwide rights to the project and will also serve as producers in coordination with Raw. Daniel Battsek, Ollie Madden, and Julia Oh will executive produce for Film4, alongside Kate Churchill and Jenny Hinkey.

“Invasion” is slated to shoot in the United States sometime this year.