Russo Bros to Team With Millie Bobby Brown for The Electric State Adaptation

Universal Pictures has picked up the rights to a new film adaptation of the science fiction art book The Electric State, from Simon Stålenhag. The acquisition came as a result of a bidding war with AGBO, who acquired the rights and have Joe and Anthony Russo of Avengers: Endgame fame attached to star and Millie Bobby Brown of Stranger Things on board to star. The graphic novel is set in an alternate 1997, and sees a runaway teenager and her yellow toy robot traveling across a radically different United States. The project, with the Russos and Brown attached, reportedly went out to buyers earlier this week and took no time at all to attract interest.

Per a handy history put together by Deadline, who broke the news, AGBO has had the rights for a few years, and originally planned to have Andy and Barbara Muschietti co-develop it for Andy to direct. After the huge success of the two IT movies he directed, though, Muschietti is busy for the foreseeable future, with The Flash up next on his schedule for Warner Bros.

The Russos now plan to fast-track the film, which they will direct themselves. The plan is to get production underway in 2021 or early 2022, although a new season of Stranger Things and the Russos directing The Gray Man mean the timeline is up in the air for the time being. This project was reportedly one of the first things AGBO went to work on developing after production wrapped on Endgame.

While the original book was written by Stålenhag, the movie will be adapted by Marvel veterans Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely, who obviously have a strong collaborative relationship with the Russos.

Here's the synopsis via Deadline's story: Set in an alternative future, it tells the story of a teenage girl (Millie Bobby Brown) who realizes that a strange but sweet robot who comes to her has actually been sent by her missing brother. She and the robot set out to find the brother in an imaginative world of humans mixing with all manner of robots, uncovering a grand conspiracy in the process.

"We're thrilled to have this deal with Universal, who has committed to a theatrical release of Electric State," the Russos told Deadline. "This is incredible news for us as filmmakers, and for audiences around the world who want an opportunity to experience films in theaters again. This is also a positive sign that, as vaccines become available, the theatrical market is returning."

"This is a very human story about a teenage girl with all the powers of a teenage girl and nothing more," added Markus. "Another thing we are really proud of when it comes to this story is all the major characters, barring one supporting character, are women which is super exciting to be involved in."

Keep your eyes on ComicBook.com for more on this movie as it develops.