Philip K.Dick: Last News

Ben Croll Playing in competition in Annecy after premiering in Cannes, Jérémie Périn’s sci-fi thriller “Mars Express” offers an uncommon spin on modern anxieties — particularly when it comes to AI. “We so often imagine that if robots became sentient, they’ll kill us,” Périn tells Variety. “Or we see many sci-fi films where robots want to become human. In short, humans are always the point of reference – so mysterious and strange and interesting, such an amazing species. We’re a bit pretentious, and I didn’t want to play on that.” Written by Périn and Laurent Sarfati, “Mars Express” serves a heady pop-culture cocktail, mixing hard-boiled fiction with science-fantasy comix, riffing on Philip Marlow and Philip K. Dick (with winks to “Watchmen” and “Robocop” and oh so many more) with a mystery yarn that places humans and cyborgs on equal footing.“The film says robots and human are different, so we have to accept those differences. There’s no need for fear, no need for opposition. I feel like I’m singing ‘We Are The World,’” the director laughs.

A sci-fi thriller series hailed as "better than Black Mirror" has landed on Amazon Prime and is garnering rave reviews from viewers.

EXCLUSIVE: Minnie Driver (Good Will Hunting) and Patrick Dempsey (Grey’s Anatomy) are in talks to star in Emma-Kate Croghan’s dramedy The Household Guide to Dying, based on the book by Debra Adelaide. 

EXCLUSIVE: Outlier Society is developing the Amazon MGM Studios action thriller movie, T-Minus, which is being co-scripted by Fall Guy‘s Drew Pearce and Watchmen and Station Eleven scribe Nick Cuse.

Carolyn Giardina Visual effects veteran Tim McGovern, who received a Special Achievement Oscar for the VFX in the 1990 sci-fi classic “Total Recall,” has died, his wife Reena NeGandhi announced Saturday on social media. He was 68.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter Amazon is developing a series version of the Philip K. Dick novel “Clans of the Alphane Moon,” Variety has learned exclusively. The project is being developed under Electric Shepherd Productions and Patrick Moran’s first look deals with Amazon Studios. Moran, via Patrick Moran Productions, is executive producing the project along with John Leguizamo, as well as as Isa Dick Hakcett, the CEO of Electric Shepherd. Bradley Kaplan will also executive produce. “Clans of the Alphane Moon” is described as a “a subversive, genre-bending, sci-fi comedy about desperately trying to escape, and ultimately having to embrace our flaws, told through the prism of a Latinx family en route to a new, faraway moon.”

Peter Debruge Chief Film Critic Don’t trust anything you see or hear in “Hypnotic,” a noggin-jogging thriller with more twists than Minnie’s tightly braided ponytail. Who’s Minnie? She’s the girl who goes missing in the movie’s opening scene, while police detective dad Daniel Rourke (Ben Affleck) looks away for a second. Or does she? Depending how your mind works, there’s a chance Minnie doesn’t even exist. The perp was caught, but Minnie’s body was never found — which is a clue that this wasn’t a typical disappearance. Your typical popcorn-munching multiplex patron would never suspect how deep this Russian-doll mystery goes. Better to strap in and go along for the ride in the latest example of creativity-within-constraints from resourceful writer-director Robert Rodriguez. Taking a page from “The Matrix,” “Limitless” and “Memento” — along with whole chapters from sci-fi trickster Philip K. Dick — this slick mix of special effects and practical ingenuity puts Affleck in a fun position, and the slightly grizzled star’s still got the clench-jawed charisma to pull it off.

Elsa Keslassy International Correspondent Atlas V, the Emmy-award winning VR company, is expanding into the U.S. with the strategic appointment of Michael Masukawa. The banner has just been signed by CAA and is aiming to build a presence in the U.S. Atlas was just nominated for three Emmy awards and won one with its interactive animation “Madrid Noir.” Atlas V’s track record in the North American festival circuit also includes multiple selections at Sundance’s New Frontier, Tribeca and SXSW (where it won two awards). The company also previously won two Peabody prizes and two Webby awards. Masukawa is joining Atlas V from Secret Location, an immersive content studio owned by Hasbro and eOne. At Atlas V, he will be in charge of developing partnerships, raising project financing, producing projects and negotiating distribution deals for Atlas V’s content. He will also find opportunities for sister companies Astrea and Albyon, the first being focused on distribution and the second one on development of immersive experiences.

Asylums have released a brand new single called ‘Crypto Klepto’ – you can check out the song’s video below.The rip-roaring new track is the Southend band’s first new music since the release of their third album, 2020’s ‘Genetic Cabaret’.According to a press release, the latest track from the four-piece rock outfit – comprising Luke Branch, Jazz Miell, Michael Webster, Henry Tyler – is the sound of “confusion and technological disorientation, borrowing musical bits from Beastie Boys, Bad Brains and Public Image Ltd, then refracting them through the mind of Philip K Dick at his most dystopian.”It added: “It’s the sound of the Web2 and Web3 paradigm shift reorganised using the William Burroughs cut-up technique.”Recorded at the legendary Rockfield Studios in Wales, ‘Crypto Klepto’ was produced by Dave Eringa (Manic Street Preachers, Idlewild, The Proclaimers).“I can honestly say this is one of the most unhinged songs I’ve ever produced and up above 215bpm one of the fastest too,” Eringa said of the track.