The Hollywood Reporter brings word today of an unofficial comic book crossover brewing in the early stages of development over at Netflix. Entitled Arq, it’s the latest feature film to receive the green light from the online streaming giant, which is primed to bolster its slate like never before in 2016 with plans to double the amount of original content produced.
Pitched as an intense sci-fi thriller, THR has revealed that Robbie Amell and Rachael Taylor have agreed to topline the all-new feature film, which has set up shop at Lost City and XYZ Films with plans in place for Netflix to distribute. Best known for their roles on The Flash and Marvel’s Jessica Jones, respectively, news of Amell and Taylor’s casting ought to pique the interest of comic book fans.
But that pool of talent stretches to the other side of the lens as well, with Orphan Black scribe Tony Elliot attached to helm the project. In fact, given that Elliot also penned the original pitch, Arq has fast become a passion project for the writer, who has garnered praise for his mind-bending work on BBC’s cerebral drama involving clones, deceit and clandestine organizations.
Of course, Arq presents Elliot with an entirely new canvas. Designed to be a post-apocalyptic thriller, the writer-director’s budding new release is set against a world on the brink of collapse. With little-to-no oil left on the planet, society has fallen into ruin, though one engineer (Amell) has crafted a technology that could hold the key to humanity’s survival. There’s one caveat, however; the raw power of said machine creates a space-time loop, forcing him and his close family to relive the same day over and over. Think Groundhog Day infused with the survival elements of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road – just with decidedly less cannibals.
Arq has set sights on a winter shoot in Toronto ahead of a planned premiere on Netflix in the early stages of 2017. Rachael Taylor, meanwhile, is attached to reprise her role as Trish Walker for Jessica Jones season 2.
