Adam McKay And Michael Shanks Unite For Sony's Next Big Sci-Fi Comedy

Adam McKay is finally setting up his next big-screen adventure, and if you've been waiting since 'Don't Look Up' to see where his head's at, you're in luck—he's teamed up with Michael Shanks for a new sci-fi comedy. Yep, McKay is heading back into director mode, and this time, he's hitching his wagon to Sony Pictures.

So, what do we know so far?

Not a ton is public, and Hollywood loves a secret, but here are the basics:

• Sony Pictures is bankrolling the whole thing.
• Adam McKay is directing. (You know, the Succession guy, the Anchorman guy, the 'let's do a comedy about climate catastrophe' guy.)
• Michael Shanks is writing the script—he just made his feature debut with the body-horror flick Together (more on that in a sec).
• McKay is producing with his usual partner Todd Schulman, under their banner, Hyperobject Industries. (Yes, that really is what they call their company.)
• As for the story? All we know is it's 'sci-fi comedy.' That's it. Seriously, that's the whole logline, for now.

Why McKay hasn't had a movie since 2021

McKay hasn't just been sitting around. He's tried to get a couple of other pretty ambitious (and, let’s be honest, pretty weird-sounding) movies off the ground, but Hollywood is what it is.

First, there was Average Height, Average Build. That was a serial killer dark comedy starring Robert Downey Jr., Robert Pattinson, and Amy Adams. Netflix wanted it, and the hook was wild: Pattinson would play a serial killer who hires a lobbyist (Adams) to literally change the law so he could get away with murder more easily. Downey Jr. would have been a retired cop who can't let the case go, even after turning in his badge. As if that setup wasn’t already bonkers, the killer becomes something like a political celebrity—kind of a warped Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, except Mr. Smith is, well, a serial killer. The whole project fizzled out, for reasons nobody's really spelled out in public.

Next, McKay shifted gears to Greenhouse, which is a climate change drama based on David Wallace-Wells' non-fiction book, The Uninhabitable Earth. Amy Adams and Sam Rockwell were circling leads. McKay himself called the script 'probably the greatest film I’ve written,' but he also admitted it was 'a tough one to make.' Translation: nobody wanted to write the massive check for a climate apocalypse movie, even if it does have big names.

Who is Michael Shanks, anyway?

Michael Shanks is not a household name—yet. He just made his feature directorial debut with Together, a frankly odd-sounding body horror romance with Alison Brie and Dave Franco. They play a codependent couple who move to the countryside, only to discover their dedication to each other has some pretty gnarly consequences: they literally start physically merging. So, if you’re thinking this guy has a knack for blending comedy with very strange genre twists, you’re not wrong.

Critics had good things to say, at least the ones who dig dark, weird horror-comedy. To quote JoBlo’s Chris Bumbray,

'What's refreshing about Together, especially in comparison to more cerebral recent fare, is just how fun it is—it wants you to have a good time. Horror fans are going to have a blast.'

If Shanks can bring that energy to a McKay sci-fi comedy, at least we won't be bored.

What’s next?

No release date, no cast, and plot details are thinner than air—Hollywood's usual playbook. For now, if your taste runs to comedy that bites, or just bizarre matchups, this one is worth keeping on your radar. Expect more details (hopefully) soon.