Benedict Cumberbatch, Laura Dern & Naomi Ackie to Star in Sci-Fi Film 'Morning'

by Darian Scalamoni

    Here's to more original film ideas! This film sounds interesting with a great cast to boot. THR confirms in a report that Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange, The Imitation Game), Laura Dern (Jurassic Park, Marriage Story), Naomi Ackie (I Wanna Dance with Somebody, Star Wars - The Rise of Skywalker) and Noah Jupe (Honey Boy, Ford v. Ferrari) will star in the upcoming sci-fi feature, Morning. 

    The film follows a future society in which people in society take a pill, so they do not require sleep. Due to the implementation of an artificial sun as an added help, this new world revolves around constant daylight, work and living. However, as a new generation rises up, the young begin to start a revolution to regain their dreams. Dern will star as Cathy, an ambitious advocate of the sleepless world who begins to think deeper about the effects it has on her son Danny (played by Jupe) following the death of his father (played by Cumberbatch). The world that Cathy had helped build however is beginning to fall apart with a woman from Frank's past (played by Ackie) brings forth memories that Cathy has been working hard to suppress and forget. Despite her efforts, Danny is being drawn away from his mother and she must fight to hold onto her son and confront the issues that are bleeding into her life.

    This sounds like a fun premise with Dern and Jupe really having an opportunity to shine. Dern is one of my favorite actresses having had showy parts recently in Big Little Lies and Marriage Story. Meanwhile, Jupe is a terrific young, rising actor who was fantastic in films like Ford v. Ferrari and Honey Boy as a young Shia LaBeouf. Filming for Morning begins in late-2023 in Germany with Justin Kurzel (Macbeth, Assassin's Creed) directing.

    Dern most recently returned as a legacy character from the Jurassic Park franchise in Jurassic World: Dominion. She has a number of projects in production currently including Susannah Grant's Lonely Planet with Liam Hemsworth and the AppleTV+ 60s period piece Mrs. American Pie alongside Kristen Wiig and Allison Janney which I cannot wait to see. 

    Cumberbatch has been in the Marvel cycle most recently with his second solo effort Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness last year and played Peter Parker's accomplice in Spider-Man: No Way Home which hit theaters in late-2021. However, the British actor is one of the most sought after in Hollywood despite his superhero commitments. Additionally, the actor was nominated last year for his second Academy Award in the spectacular film The Power of the Dog. Next, he'll work with Wes Anderson for the first time in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar for Netflix, he'll work with Jeymes Samuel for Pins and Needles alongside James McAvoy and LaKeith Stanfield and he'll also star in his own Netflix limited series, Eric.

    Jupe will voice a lead character in The Magician's Elephant later this year before he returns to A Quiet Place III alongside his on-screen sister Millicent Simmonds for John Krasinski's horror franchise. He also filmed AppleTV+ series Lady in the Lake with Natalie Portman this past year. Meanwhile, Ackie recently played Whitney Houston in I Wanna Dance with Somebody and will next appear in Bong Joon Ho's sci-fi film Mickey17 with Robert Pattinson, Mark Ruffalo and Toni Collette.