Variety reports that Lena Headey, who co-stars on HBO’s beloved Game of Thrones, has signed on to play the female lead in Universal’s upcoming, Ethan Hawke–starring sci-fi thriller Vigilandia, written and directed by veteran James DeMonaco. (Screenwriting credits for him include 1998’s The Negotiator and 2005’s Assault on Precinct 13 remake, which also starred Hawke). Michael Bay‘s Platinum Dunes will handle producing responsibilities on their first attempt at something with a much smaller scale; the budget is being compared to Film District’s Insidious, for a frame of reference. This is where I would tell you what Vigilandia is about, but, as of right now, there are no plot details to pass on. Sorry, guys. I’ll buy you a McRib to make up for it.
Headey may now be best known for Thrones (the second season starts airing April 1st), but a good chunk of people remember her for her role as Sarah Connor on Fox’s Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, which ran for two seasons and was canceled before it should have been (yes, I’m bitter). Headey is also appearing in this September’s Dredd, the second attempt to make a coherent movie out of the classic British sci-fi comic; that stars Karl Urban in the lead role.
She knows her way around science fiction, is what I’m getting at, and although I don’t know what the plot of Vigilandia is yet, I’m digging the casting choices, and am always up for any sci-fi getting into my neighborhood multiplex. I just hope they change the title; Vigilandia sounds like a female care product you’d see ads for late at night. Not that I would know.
Looking forward to learning more about Vigilandia? What do you think about the studios’ new love of micro-budget movies?