Stranger Things Director Rebecca Thomas Signs On To Sci-Fi Flick Intelligent Life

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By Julia BiancoAug. 21, 2017 11:37 am EST

It has been a good month for Rebecca Thomas. Shortly after signing on to direct James Wan's Malignant Man movie, the Stranger Things alum has attached herself to the upcoming sci-fi thriller Intelligent Life. (via The Hollywood Reporter)

Intelligent Life was previously set to be directed by Ava DuVernay with Lupita Nyong'o as the star, so the story clearly has the ability to attract some high-profilenames. The movie, which has a script from Jurassic World duo Colin Trevorrow and Derek Connolly, follows a United Nations employee who monitors outer space and makes contact with a beautiful woman who may be an alien. DuVernay and Nyong'o are both no longer attached to the project, which recently got a script rewrite from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy producer Jay Roach. Thomas is also said to do some additional writing.

"Rebecca beautifully captured the alienation we often feel amongst our fellow humans in her first feature," Trevorrow and producer Frank Marshall said in a statement, referencing Thomas' 2012 indie debut Electrick Children. "We can't wait to see her explore those themes further in a story about our place in the universe."

Thomas, one of just a small handful of people to get the chance to direct an episode of Netflix's hit Stranger Things, is also known for Sweet/Vicious, Las Vegas, West, and Ivan Sings. She is already signed on to adapt the live-action version of Disney's The Little Mermaid, and she also has another high-profile project lined up in John Green's Looking for Alaska adaptation. Malignant, her venture into the comic book world, will feature her adapting Wan's sci-fi action thriller graphic novel for 20th Century Fox, taking over for Brad Peyton, who left to direct Dwayne Johnson in Rampage.

There is no word on a schedule yet for Intelligent Life, but Thomas certainly has a full plate for the next few years. While we wait to learn more about the project, see some of the sci-fi movies that will blow everyone away next year.