Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings star Simu Liu already proved he could play a hero. He will get the chance to play a villain in his next big project, Atlas for Netflix. The science fiction drama also stars Jennifer Lopez and This Is Us Emmy winner Sterling K. Brown.
Atlas centers on the title character, a woman fighting for humanity in a future where an artificial intelligence soldier is out to end our way of life. Atlas has to outthink the AI soldier, even if it means working with another AI. Liu will play the antagonist, sources told Deadline. Abraham Popoola (Morbius, The Great) also has a key role.
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Brad Peyton, who directed the Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson hits San Andreas and Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, is directing Atlas. Leo Sardarian (StartUp) wrote the initial script, with Aron Eli Coleite (Locke & Key, Daybreak) working on the most recent draft. Joby Harold and Tory Tunnell of Safehouse Pictures are producing with Peyton and Jeff Fierseon for ASAP Entertainment. Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas and Benny Medina of Lopez’s Nuyorican Productions; and Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter of Berlanti/Schechter Films are also producing. Courtney Baxter and Matt Schwartz are co-producing with Mike McGrath as executive producer.
Liu scored his breakout role in the CBC sitcom Kim’s Convenience, which was a big hit for Netflix in the U.S. He played the title role in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, which grossed $432 million worldwide and helped make him an integral part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe going forward. Next year, he goes back to comedy with a role in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie with Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. He also has a role in the romantic drama One True Loves and Mark Wahlberg’s Arthur the King.
Brown recently finished playing Randall Pearson on NBC’s This Is Us. He won an Emmy for the show in 2017 and was nominated again in 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. Brown also won Emmys for his role in The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story and for narrating the CNN documentary Lincoln: Divided We Stand. Since This Is Us ended, Brown has been busy racking up film roles. His next movie, Honk For Jesus. Save Your Soul, opens on Sept. 2.
