WIRE Buzz: Mahershala Ali boards Sovereign, sci-fi epic from Quiet Place writers

Two-time Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali has found his next project. The former Luke Cage actor will be boarding the sci-fi epic Sovereign, per a report from Variety.

Details about the plot are being kept under wraps for now, but the script comes from A Quiet Place writers Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. It's also being co-produced by Shawn Levy, Dan Levine, and Dan Cohen, the trio behind Stranger Things and Arrival. The trio will be producing alongside Entertainment One.

"We have long loved this project and have been patiently waiting until we found the right leading actor, which we no doubt have found in the incredibly talented Mahershala Ali," said Entertainment One president of film Nick Meyer. "The cast is clearly shaping up well and is backed by a creative team with a proven track record and the ability to tell a story that will resonate with audiences around the world."

In addition to his recent Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in Green Book, Ali also provided the voice of Aaron Davis/Prowler in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, which won Best Animated Feature. He can also be seen as big bad Vector in Alita: Battle Angel, which is currently in theaters.

(via Variety)

Next up, Pollyanna McIntosh will be a recurring character in Season 2 of AMC's whimsical comedy Lodge 49. Deadline reports that the actress will play Clara, a British emissary who meets and befriends Connie (Linda Emond) at Lodge 1 in England.

The actress recently portrayed Jadis/Anne on The Walking Dead, who was last seen escorting a badly wounded Rick Grimes (Andrew Lincoln) to safety via helicopter. This will lead to the Rick-centric trilogy of films AMC is producing in the wake of his character being written out of the flagship series.

McIntosh will also be making her directorial debut with Darlin', a direct sequel to 2011's controversial horror film The Woman. She also co-wrote the screenplay and stars in the picture, which is making its world premiere at SXSW this year.

(via Deadline)

Finally, the 2014 videogame Alien: Isolation is getting its own web series, courtesy of IGN. The game's story followed Amanda Ripley, the daughter of Sigourney Weaver's Ellen Ripley, 15 years following her mother's disappearance aboard the Nostromo.

All seven episodes will drop exclusively on IGN tomorrow, but they released a trailer to tide everyone over.

The series is a mix of cut-scenes from the game, as well as re-shot POV footage, and brand-new scenes developed for the series to help deepen Amanda Ripley's story. She also appears in the new mobile game Alien: Blackout, which was released on mobile platforms last month. Not a bad way to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Ridley Scott's game-changing outer-space monster movie.

(via IGN)