The trailer for upcoming sci-fi thriller “Simulant,” starring Jordana Brewster, Robbie Amell, Sam Worthington and Simu Liu, was released on Wednesday.
Formerly titled “Hello People,” the April Mullen-directed film centers on Faye (Brewster) as she attempts to cope with the death of her husband, Evan (Amell), by creating a humanoid android simulant (SIM) in his image. However, Faye is unable to accept the SIM version of her husband, leaving a confused Evan determined to win her love. In his quest to win her affection, Evan’s exceptional skills and human-like emotions catch the attention of the government, who begin a manhunt led by agent Kessler (Worthington).
Liu plays Casey, a programmer and supporter of human-AI coexistence who removes Evan’s coding limitations. Alicia also co-stars as Esmé and Mayko Nguyen as Michiko Higashi.
Considering the rise of AI in our everyday lives, producer Tim Doiron shared his take on how “Simulant” wrestles with the tension between the human and the artificial in a statement:
Our relationship with Artificial Intelligence is getting more complex and nuanced every day. Simulant explores the inevitable struggles humanity will face as Artificial Intelligence evolves and integrates deeper into our society. It’s a fascinating exploration, especially when experienced through the gaze of Director April Mullen. We can’t wait to share the film with audiences.
Mullen said about her movie: “In a very real near future, where technological advancements force us to reckon with our conceptual limitations around life, death and consciousness, how do we as humans push ourselves into the next stage of evolution?”
Doiron and James van der Woerd produced the film from a screenplay developed by Ryan Christopher Churchill.
The film’s executive producers include Peter Bevan, Chris Lee, Ali Jazayeri (TPC), David Gendron, Kirk D’Amico and Vertical’s Peter Jarowey, Rich Goldberg and Mitch Budin.
An early bid for “Simulant” was made by Vertical, who set early release dates for both Canada, the U.S. and the U.K./Ireland.
“Simulant” will be released in the U.S. as a DirecTV On Demand exclusive on May 5 before its theatrical release on June 2. The Canadian theatrical release of “Simulant” will take place on April 7.
Watch the trailer for “Simulant” below:
