Lunik Heist, the new moviefrom director Kemp Powers, has assembled an all-star cast. Powers is best known for co-directing Pixar’sSoul(with Pete Docter), the Marvel sequelSpider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse(with Joaquim Dos Santos and Justin K. Thompson), and theupcomingSpider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse(also with Dos Santos and Thompson). However, he is also a writer, having co-writtenSoul, been part of the writing staff ofStar Trek: Discovery, and adaptedOne Night in Miamifrom his own play of the same name.
PerDeadline, Powers is attached toLunik Heist, an upcoming heist movie adapting an MIT Technology Review article by Jeff Maysh that is based on the true story of a scheme where the U.S. government attempted to infiltrate a Mexico City exposition to steal a Soviet spacecraft. Additionally,Jared Leto, John Mulaney, and Lupita Nyong’o have joined the castin as-yet unspecified roles. Maysh is executive producing the project. Producers include Leto and Emma Ludbrook through Paradox as well as Gran Via Productions' Mark Johnson.
The production timeline of the project has not yet been announced, though it is being overseen by Searchlight Pictures' Director of Development Zahra Phillip. Below, reada statement on the movie from Searchlight Pictures president Matthew Greenfield:
We’re so thrilled to bring together such an exceptional team. With the extraordinary talents of Jared, Lupita, and John, led by the visionary Kemp, Lunik Heist is a wild, roller-coaster ride, filled with subterfuge and unlikely heroes.
What This Cast Means For Lunik Heist
The Movie Has A Promising Set Of Leads
The star-studded cast that has been assembled forLunik Heistwill likely help give the movie a huge boost at the box office. Nyong’o, who won an Oscar in 2014 for her performance in12 Years a Slave, will likely provide a major draw, especiallyin the wake of the success of her 2024 hitsA Quiet Place: Day OneandThe Wild Robot. Leto, also an Oscar winner for his role inDallas Buyers Club, is a well-known screen presence too, though his box office track record has been more questionable with recent efforts includingMorbiusandHaunted Mansion.
Together, Lupita Nyong’o’s movies - which also includeStar Wars: Episode VII - The Force AwakensandBlack Panther- have grossed more than $8.7 billion.
The presence of comedian John Mulaney could also offer some insight into the overall tone of the movie. The actor, who is also an alumnus of Sony’s Marvel franchise after voicing Spider-Ham as part of theSpider-Man: Into the Spider-Versecast, is likelyeither playing a comic relief character or has been cast to help amplify a comic tone in the crime movie. However, it is also possible that the movie is a more straight crime drama and that he has been cast against type.
Our Take On Lunik Heist
Its Success Is Not Guaranteed
As the first live-action movie directed by Powers,Lunik Heistmaypresent the filmmaker with a steep learning curve. However, the cast that has already been assembled for the upcomingLupita Nyong’o movieseems more or less guaranteed to help make sure the project is a success, both in terms of quality and its potential commercial performance. It also seems likely that more casting announcements will be made as the project’s production draws nearer, so even more major stars could be added before filming begins, furthering its prospects even more.
