Drake Doremus got our attention with his bittersweet romance Like Crazy back in 2011, and his follow-up Breathe In didn’t give us any reason to take our eyes off the talented writer-director. Now, he’s gearing up to shoot what just may be his most exciting project yet – a sci-fi romance titled Equals, set in a dystopian future where emotions have been eradicated and the new breed of unfeeling human beings are all called Equals.
The cast for the film, led by Nicholas Hoult, Kristen Stewart and Guy Pearce, was already promising, but now we’re hearing that two-time Oscar nominee Jacki Weaver is also in negotiations to join which just increases our anticipation for this movie.
Equals centers on Silas (Hoult), who falls victim to what is called Switched-On Syndrome, beginning to feel for the first time, and is ostracized and targeted by the government. Soon, he meets Nia (Stewart), who also has emotions but has managed to hide them. Together, they decide to escape their society, only to become pursued by a powerful enemy (Pearce).
Weaver would take on the key supporting role of Bess, a powerful doctor who ends up helping Silas and Nia after meeting Silas in a support group. Ever since her breakout role in Animal Kingdom, which earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress, Weaver has been highly in demand, so we shouldn’t assume she’s set for Equals yet, but the film would certainly benefit from her casting. So, I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed.
Doremus’ film, which co-stars Kate Lyn Sheil and Aurora Perrineau, does not yet have a planned release date. Equals was a hot commodity at Cannes, and will begin filming this August in Japan and Singapore. Check out the full synopsis below and let us know whether you think this project is going to be one to watch.
A futuristic love story set in a society where emotions have been eradicated. Equals tells the story of Silas (Hoult), who lives in a future society called The Collective. The inhabitants of this modern world are a new breed of humans called Equals. Equals are peaceful, calm, fair and polite. Life in The Collective is perfect; there is no greed, no poverty, no violence and no emotion but a new disease is threatening everyone. SOS, or Switched On Syndrome, is activating in its victims everything they thought they had escaped: depression, sensitivity, fear & love. Once a person is overtaken with SOS, they are sent away to The Den and never seen again. When Silas is infected, he becomes an outcast but he notices one person who seems to understand what he’s going through. Nia (Stewart) has feelings, but she seems to be able to hide them. When he confronts her, they discover a connection that quickly takes over everything. They feel love and intimacy for the first time in their lives but the only way for them to ensure their survival is to escape.
