Picture: Netflix
Netflix is teaming up with Jennifer Lopez in her second major Netflix Original movie, Atlas. The project comes following The Mother in 2023 and will soon be followed by The Cipher. Now with a confirmed release date and trailer, here’s everything we know about Atlas on Netflix.
Netflix’s Atlas will be helmed by Brad Peyton, who directed such movies as Rampage, San Andreas, and Journey 2 with Dwayne Johnson. The script for Atlas was originally written by Armenian screenwriter Leo Sardarian (StartUp) and was later passed to Aron Eli Coleite (Locke & Key, Heroes, Star Trek: Discovery).
Director Brad Peyton (Photo by Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images)
Atlas will be produced by Jennifer Lopez for her Nuyorican Productions as well as Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas and Benny Medina joining her, along with Joby Harold and Tory Tunnell for Safehouse Pictures and with Peyton and Jeff Fierson for ASAP Entertainment.
The project was originally set up at Warner Bros. Pictures with the script originating from the 2017 Black List.
Peyton commented on starting the work on this film:
“I’m so honored to be working with Jennifer, Elaine and the rest of the team at Nuyorican Productions along with our partners Joby and Tory at Safehouse, Having the chance to direct Jennifer in the title role of this movie is a dream come true, as I know she’ll bring the incredible strength, depth and authenticity we’ve all come to admire from her work.”
Here’s everything else we know about Netflix’s Atlas, beginning with the teaser trailer released on March 13th:
What’s the plot of Atlas?
The following is an extended synopsis for Netflix’s Atlas as seen in issue 1251 of Production Weekly:
The sci-fi thriller follows Atlas, a military intelligence officer who has spent years pursuing intergalactic terrorist Harlan who murdered her family during an attack on her agency’s headquarters on Earth. Now she’s in space to oversee a mission to capture Harlan at his remote planet hideout. Things go south quickly when their ship is struck by missiles and she’s forced to don an AI driven mechanical armored suit and evacuate with the soldiers.
All are killed in an aerial battle on the way down except for her and she is left stranded on the surface, surrounded by hostiles, with little knowledge of how the AI suit works. She gets acquainted with the suit, and it helps her out and gets her headed for an escape pod planted some distance away, with limited time left before the suit fails. She battles technologically augmented enemy soldiers and the hostile environment and soon acquires a location for Harlan, so she detours to try and fulfill the mission and capture him, despite being injured.
He captures her instead and she manages to get free with help from the suit and thwart a planned attack on Earth. She reaches the escape pod running on fumes and is met by Harlan and fights him to the death. She is forced to abandon the suit despite a strong bond formed between her and it, and gets away in the nick of time. She decides to join the military afterwards as a soldier and gets a new suit that she relates to the same as the old one, as she prepares to take on the next battle, a changed woman.
Atlas. Jennifer Lopez as Atlas. Cr. Ana Carballosa/Netflix ©2023
Who is the cast of Atlas on Netflix?
Renowned singer and actress Jennifer Lopez will lead Atlas for Netflix. Her recent acting work includes Golden Globe-nominated Hustlers, Second Act and Shades of Blue. Lopez will be playing the role of the title character, Atlas, a military intelligence officer who is on a hunt for an intergalactic terrorist.
For an incredibly long time, we knew nothing of the cast of Atlas, but in August 2022, the remaining cast members were revealed.
Joining Jennifer Lopez in Atlas are; Simu Liu (Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings), Sterling K. Brown (Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul.) Abraham Popoola (The Great) and Lana Parrilla (Once Upon a Time).
Mark Strong (1917) will also appear as General Boothe.
Pictures courtesy of the actor’s agencies
Rounding out the cast includes:
- Gregory James Cohan
- Alfredo Tavares
- Paul Ganus
- Charlies Hewson
- Vinesh Chachra
- Sean Berube
- David Eby
- Briella Guiza
- Tracy Todd
- Robert Dobson
What’s the production status of Atlas?
The project was left in active development pre-production for an extended period of time, but as of August 26th, 2022, filming for Atlas has been ongoing.
Shooting occurred in various locations across California in the US, including Los Angeles, Orange, and Ventura. Some of the filming has taken place in New Zealand.
What’s the release date for Atlas?
Netflix has confirmed that Atlas will be dropping on the service globally on May 24th, 2024.
Are you looking forward to watching Atlas on Netflix? Let us know in the comments below!