Director David Zellner has credits going back to 1997, when he made his feature directorial debut with the comedy Plastic Utopia, working from a screenplay he wrote with his brother, visual effects artist Nathan Zellner. As of the 2018 Western Damsel, the Zellner Brothers became a directing duo, and in 2020 it was announced that they were going to be making an alien invasion comedy called Alpha Gang, with Andrea Riseborough, Jon Hamm, Nicholas Hoult, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Mackenzie Davis, Sofia Boutella, and Steven Yeun attached to star in the film. But Alpha Gang missed its 2021 production start date and the Zellner Brothers made Sasquatch Sunset instead. Now, Deadline reports that the Zellners are circling back to Alpha Gang, and the impressive cast they originally had lined up has been replaced by a different impressive bunch of actors: Cate Blanchett (Disclaimer), Channing Tatum (Deadpool & Wolverine), Dave Bautista (Knock at the Cabin), Zoë Kravitz (The Batman), Léa Seydoux (No Time to Die), and Riley Keough (Daisy Jones & The Six), along with Steven Yeun (Minari), the only originally-cast actor to be involved with this new attempt to get the project rolling.
Here’s the synopsis: They look and sound human, but Alpha Gang are aliens, sent on a mission to conquer Earth. Armed and dangerous, they show no mercy, until they catch the most toxic, contagious human disease of all: emotion. Their plan for world domination is in danger of derailing once they start to feel joy, fear, empathy, and – worst of all – love… But hopefully they can still annihilate mankind before it’s too late. A different synopsis adds in the information that the titular Alpha Gang is disguised in human form as a 1950s leather-clad biker gang.
CAA Media Finance is handling the North American distribution rights, while the movie’s international sales agent mk2 films will be handling pre-sales at the upcoming American Film Market. The Zellner brothers are producing the film for ZBi, while Blanchett and Coco Francini do the same for Dirty Films. Gina Gammell of Felix Culpa, Ryan Zacarias of Fat City, Mary Aloe of Aloe Entertainment, and Andrea Bucko of Sugar Rush Pictures are also producers on the film.
mk2 Films’ Managing Director Fionnuala Jamison provided the following statement: “These stellar new recruits are a powerhouse of comedic talent, adding even more excitement to this eagerly awaited film. This cast, just like the story and its filmmakers, is out of this world.“
Deadline notes that Blanchett will be playing the Alpha Gang’s indomitable leader, while the other announced cast members will be playing the gang members.
Does Alpha Gang sound interesting to you? What do you think of the cast the Zellner Brothers have assembled for the film? Let us know by leaving a comment below.