Mind Fall - What We Know So Far

Deadline recently got the exclusive scoop on the newest sci-fi project from Wild Bunch International and Studio 8. It's called "Mind Fall," and it's a dystopian flick about "near-future London, where the most sought-after drug on the black market is memories." The film is in the very early stages of production right now — so early, in fact, that its IMDb page merely lists it as "in development." It doesn't yet list any specific details on the cast, producers, directors, screenwriters, or any other relevant information which audiences might want to know, but someone at IMDb might just be slacking off.

This doesn't mean that there isn't any information out there at all, and there's sure to be a lot more coming out in the near future as the movie gets closer to production. Thanks to some intrepid reporting, we know a whole bunch of information about who's going to be in the movie, who's making it happen, and what audiences can expect. So let's take a look at what's in store with the upcoming movie "Mind Fall."

As we touched on earlier, "Mind Fall" isn't even in production yet. Out of the five stages of film production as described by Indie Film Hustle, this is the very first phase. It's not even in pre-production yet, so eager sci-fi fans will have to wait a hot minute before they can see it in theaters. There's still a small chance that it might never get made into a full film, but seeing how they've already made some major casting and production decisions, it's likely that things will be seen through to the end.

According to Collider, "Mind Fall" is in a transitional period right now. The movie was originally supposed to be bankrolled by the now defunct Solstice Studios. Obviously, now that the company is no longer financially solvent, that idea has flown out the window, but Vincent Maraval and Kim Fox are currently negotiating the purchase terms with Wild Bunch International. They also have a guaranteed lock on Studio 8, which is no stranger to producing dark thrillers. 

Because of the current uncertainty surrounding the film, it's almost impossible to predict a release date, but we expect it to be at least late 2022 or early 2023 before "Mind Fall" hits theaters.

First and foremost, the movie stars Daisy Ridley as the main protagonist — Ardis Varnado — who is addicted to the "mems" that she illegally traffics (but more on that in a minute). Seeing as how Ridley already has experience performing within the science fiction genre, her casting seems like a sensible choice. It'll also be really interesting to see what type of performance she's capable of while staying inside her comfort zone of the sci-fi genre, while also stepping outside of the "Star Wars" role for which she is best known. Behind the camera, Mathieu Kassovitz is directing, with Graham Moore writing the script. As far as the rest of the cast is concerned, there's no official info on who will grace the silver screen alongside her, and with few details on other characters, it's hard to guess.

Despite that, there are a few people who we could see also starring in the film based on sci-fi and memory-bending films of the past. Guy Pearce would make a good choice, not just for his role in "Memento," but also for his heavily prosthetic-covered part in "Prometheus" and "Alien: Covenant." We wouldn't hate seeing Christian Bale in another science fiction dystopian future either, especially given his outstanding performance in the movie "Equilibrium." Also, would it be entirely appropriate to get a cameo from "Total Recall" stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and/or Sharon Stone? Absolutely. But is it likely to happen? As the movie is in such early stages of development, anything is possible.

Based on the film's plot description given by Deadline and other publications, it seems as though "Mind Fall" is what would happen if "Memento," "Total Recall," and "Strange Days" had a baby. The latter two, like "Mind Fall," feature dystopian futures in which human memories can be retrieved, erased, and downloaded into the human brain like a software program, while the former deals with a protagonist who, after a traumatic brain injury, can't rely on his own memories as he goes on a dark and twisted journey to find out the truth behind his wife's murder.

Daisy Ridley's character Ardis in "Mind Fall" will go on a similar journey in order to exonerate herself from the murder of a client she's accused of committing. But not everything is as it seems, and Ardis feels like she can barely trust her own recollection of her past, especially since she's one of those memory drug dealers who violates the cardinal rule of drug dealing: never get high on your own supply. Which of her memories are real, and which ones are fake? Did she really kill her client? Is she even who she thinks she is? 

Unfortunately, curious cinephiles will have to wait a while before they find out the answers to these pertinent questions, but we'll keep you updated as developments on the upcoming film "Mind Fall" unfold.