Scarlett Johansson’s Best Movie Is Getting A Spin-Off Series, Iconic Actor Set To Return
Scarlett Johansson's Lucy is getting a spinoff series, and Morgan Freeman is in talks to reprise his role as Professor Samuel Norman.
A spinoff television series based on Lucy, the hit action movie starring Scarlett Johansson, is being developed by EuropaCorp and Village Roadshow. Morgan Freeman, who portrayed Professor Samuel Norman alongside the actress, is currently in advanced negotiations to reprise the role for the show. While plot details are being kept under wraps, the story is said to focus on the professor and takes place after the events of the film.
It’s currently unclear if Scarlett Johansson will return as the titular character. The project, which is still in the early stages of development, is yet to hire a director and writing team. But fans of Lucy can expect more updates in the coming months. According to Variety, the series is the second EuropaCorp project to be green-lit since the company was acquired by Vine in 2019.
Written and directed by Luc Besson, Lucy tells the story of a young woman (Scarlett Johansson) whose boyfriend tricks her into delivering a briefcase containing four packets of the highly valuable synthetic drug CPH4, which leads to her kidnapping. After her captors forcibly sew the package into her abdomen, some of the substance is absorbed into her bloodstream, granting her telepathic and telekinetic abilities. On the run from a drug lord and his outfit, Lucy (Scarlett Johansson) eventually comes into contact with Professor Norman (Morgan Freeman), who advises her on her newfound powers, speculating that she is slowly unlocking 100% of her brain capacity.
Released in 2014, the movie became a massive success, earning $463 million at the global box office. Although Lucy received a positive response from fans, the feedback from critics was mixed. Many found the plot nonsensical, especially its focus on the 10% of the brain myth and resulting abilities.
However, praise was given for the film’s themes, visuals, and Scarlett Johansson’s performance. The movie currently holds a 66% approval rating on review aggregator website, Rotten Tomatoes. Interestingly, EuropaCorp has been working on a Lucy follow-up for years.
After a string of failed projects in 2017, the studio told shareholders it would begin to focus on avenues that previously proved successful. According to CBR, a sequel to the Scarlett Johansson starrer was mentioned as a viable option. At the time, Besson was said to have already handed in an early draft of the script. But the project never moved further than that.
Meanwhile, Scarlett Johansson has a few other projects in the works. She will appear alongside an ensemble cast in Wes Anderson’s upcoming romantic comedy-drama called Asteroid City. Set in 1955, the story follows students and parents from across the country as they gather for scholarly competition at a Junior Stargazer convention in a fictional American desert town. It will be released by Focus Features and Universal Pictures.
The Marvel alum will also star opposite Channing Tatum in Project Artemis. The Scarlett Johansson starrer is directed by Greg Berlanti from a script by Rose Gilroy. Jim Rash and Ray Romano are also featured in the movie. Filming began in Atlanta on October 27th, with a casting call seeking extras in the area to play NASA employees and FBI agents.
