Barry Jenkins has Oscars to his credit for Moonlight, but when it comes to box office? It took Disney’s Mufasa: The Lion King for him to score his first true blockbuster hit. So what’s next for one of the most respected filmmakers around? A move to Universal for a sci-fi project, The Natural Order, starring Glen Powell.
According to THR, Jenkins will direct Powell in The Natural Order, a sci-fi thriller centered on the quest for eternal life. Jenkins will also co-write the script with Coco writer Matthew Aldrich, based on Aldrich’s unpublished manuscript. Powell will also produce through his Barnstorm banner, the first project in a first-look deal with Universal Pictures.
Powell just had a huge 2024 with the films Hit Man and Twisters, plus the unexpected success of Anyone But You. He’ll venture into sci-fi again as part of Edgar Wright’s The Running Man remake, and will star in Ari Aster’s Huntington.
This is a change of pace move for Jenkins. He’s tackled magical realism in his acclaimed miniseries, The Underground Railroad. Given how easily Jenkins moved from human drama to The Lion King, he should have no problem adapting. It’s too early for The Natural Order to have a release date, but perhaps some time in 2026?
