In the latest Hollywood rights deal for Netflix, the streaming service has acquired worldwide rights for the sci-fi thriller “Extinction” from Universal — two months after Universal pulled it off its schedule.
Netflix plans to release “Extinction” later this year. The company confirmed the move to Variety on Thursday, four days after it began streaming J.J. Abrams’ “The Cloverfield Paradox” following the Super Bowl, and two weeks after sources said Netflix was buying the rights of what was then called “God Particle” from Paramount.
The film stars Michael Pena (“Ant-Man”) and Lizzy Caplan (“Now You See Me 2,” “Allied”) as a husband and wife. His character has a recurring nightmare of losing his family and that bad dream becomes a reality when the planet is invaded by a force bent on destruction. Fighting for their lives, he comes to realize an unknown strength to keep his family safe from harm.
“Luke Cage’s” Mike Colter, Lilly Aspell, Emma Booth, Israel Broussard, and Lex Shrapnel also star. Ben Young directed from a script by Spenser Cohen and Bradley Caleb Kane. Mandeville’s Todd Lieberman and David Hoberman produced the film. Production companies are Good Universe and Mandeville Films.
Paramount previously made a deal with Netflix in December for the streaming service to handle the international release of Natalie Portman’s horror-thriller “Annihilation.” The studio will release the movie in North America on Feb. 23.
