Good for Simon Kinberg that Dark Phoenix's failure and the collapse of the X-Men franchise under his watch hasn't hurt his career. It actually seems to be on the upswing somehow. Deadline reports Kinberg and Reese Witherspoon are teaming on a coveted sci-fi film titled Pyros, which both will produce and she will star in
A number of studios are said to be in the mix to acquire Pyros, unsurprising given Witherspoon's attachment and the muscle she's brought as a producer of projects for female filmmakers. So it wouldn't be at all surprising if she hires a woman to direct it, although the script is by Thomas Pierce based on his Tardy Man short story. Kingberg is already producing another of Pierce's short story adaptations titled Chairman Spaceman.
The plot for Tardy Man follows “a group of augmented people who are fitted with indestructible fire suits that are fused to their spines. They work for a corporation that recovers objects for wealthy people when their houses are burning. It is strictly forbidden for them to veer from their salvage missions, even when other humans are in danger. The protagonist decides to make an exception to this rule and that is the jumping off point.”
Sounds like a compelling twist on the "kind-hearted assassin" narrative. I imagine the protagonist will be targeted for putting compassion ahead of the assignment. I can see Witherspoon paired up with a younger actress in a potentially star-making turn. A lot of it will depend on who she and Kinberg choose as director, so keep an eye out for that.
Witherspoon recently wrapped up the second season of HBO's Big Little Lies. Kinderg's next project is the star-studded spy flick 355 with Jessica Chastain, Lupita Nyong'o, Fan Bingbing, and Penelope Cruz. Again, he ain't hurting for work right now.
