Director Ava DuVernay Departs ‘Intelligent Life’

A few months back, filmmaker Ava DuVernay was slated to direct the upcoming science fiction drama Intelligent Life for DreamWorks. The film, which has Oscar winning actress Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave) attached to star, comes from a screenplay by Jurassic World director Colin Trevorrow and frequent collaborator Derek Connolly (Safety Not Guaranteed). DuVernay has exited the film with scheduling being deemed the culprit here.

DuVernay, who won the Directing Prize at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival for second feature Middle of Nowhere, sparked immediate notoriety after making acclaimed Oscar winning 2014 bio Selma. While first attached for Intelligent Life – and brief speculation that she might helm Marvel’s upcoming Black Panther – DuVernay has opted instead to focus attention on Disney’s upcoming adaptation of the beloved novel A Wrinkle in Time. Those obligations likely prevented her from taking on Intelligent Life.

The film, still set to star the currently Tony nominated Nyong’o (for her Broadway debut Eclipsed), tells the story of a United Nations employee who is struck by a beautiful woman who may not be of our world. The Hollywood Reporter was the first to break the news.

We shall stay tuned on further developments regarding Intelligent Life.

James Tisch: Managing Editor, mxdwn Movies || Writer. Procrastinator. Film Lover. Sparked by the power of the movies (the films of Alfred Hitchcock served as a pivotal gateway drug during childhood), James began ruminating and essaying the cinema at a young age and forged forward as a young blogger, contributor and eventual editor for mxdwn Movies. Outside of mxdwn, James served as a film programmer for one of the busiest theaters in the greater Los Angeles area and frequently works on the local film festival circuit. He resides in Los Angeles. james@mxdwn.com
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