Keanu Reeves’ Next Sci-Fi Adventure Locks In Director—First Details Revealed
Warner Bros is in final talks to nab Shiver, a new sci-fi thriller with Keanu Reeves set to headline, marking a return to the genre that made him an icon with The Matrix.
Keanu Reeves might be headed for a sci-fi thriller that involves mercenaries, sharks, and a time loop. Yes, all three. Warner Bros. is in final talks to pick up a new movie called 'Shiver,' with Reeves lined up to star. It is a very Keanu setup: a stripped-down survival story with a big sci-fi swing.
What is 'Shiver'?
The studio is close to acquiring the package, and while plot details are still mostly locked up, here is the broad strokes making the rounds: Reeves would play a small-time smuggler working a job in the Caribbean that goes sideways in a screaming hurry. Think double-cross, bodies piling up, mercs closing in, and even sharks in the water. Then the story flips hard into sci-fi when he gets stuck in a deadly time loop and has to figure out how to break it. The comps being tossed around are Tom Cruise's 'Edge of Tomorrow' meets Blake Lively's 'The Shallows,' which is a wild combo, but it tracks.
The team behind it
- Studio: Warner Bros. (in final negotiations to acquire the project)
- Star: Keanu Reeves
- Director: Tim Miller ('Deadpool')
- Writer: Ian Shorr
- Producers: Matthew Vaughn (the 'Kingsman' guy) and Aaron Ryder
- Vibe: Survival thriller smashed into a time-loop action puzzle, with clear 'Edge of Tomorrow' and 'The Shallows' DNA
- Setting: Caribbean Sea, with mercenaries and man-eaters complicating an already bad day
Why Keanu makes sense here
Reeves basically has sci-fi on his resume in permanent ink: 'The Matrix' franchise, plus 'Johnny Mnemonic' (1995), 'Chain Reaction' (1996), 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' (2008), and 'Replicas' (2018). He has also been busy outside the genre lately: he shows up in Lionsgate's 'John Wick' spin-off 'Ballerina' and in Aziz Ansari's angel comedy 'Good Fortune.' Next up after that, he is in Jonah Hill's dark comedy 'Outcome' alongside Cameron Diaz and Matt Bomer, and he is attached to star opposite Kirsten Dunst in the satire 'The Entertainment System is Down.'
Where things stand
For now, 'Shiver' is a near-done deal rather than a fully locked movie. No character breakdowns, start date, or release timing have been announced. But with Reeves fronting, Tim Miller directing, and Matthew Vaughn producing, this package is clearly built to move fast once the studio stamps it.