Morgan Freeman Is In Talks To Star In A Lucy Spin-Off Series
There's too much TV to choose from these days, but when it comes to deciding what to watch, some unspoken rules of TV are just plain obvious. For example: If there's a show with Morgan Freeman in it, you watch the show with Morgan Freeman in it. According to Variety, it might be time to employ that no-brainer rule, as Freeman is apparently finalizing negotiations to star in a TV spin-off of the 2014 film "Lucy."
You may remember "Lucy" as the movie in which Scarlett Johansson plays a woman who unlocks her full brain's potential after accidentally absorbing a powerful drug. This turns her into a super smart, psychokinetic superhero-type who is also prone to almost disintegrating every now and again. The high-concept film came courtesy of "Léon: The Professional" and "The Fifth Element" filmmaker Luc Besson, and earned an impressive $463 million at the worldwide box office against a reported $40 million budget.
Professor Norman's not done unlocking brainpower
Freeman appeared in the film as Professor Samuel Norman, a researcher whose work helps Lucy better understand her rapid advancement. While his research is based on a theory that has been debunked in real life (the same "we only use ten percent of our brains" myth that inspired Bradley Cooper's "Limitless"), it sounds like Professor Norman still has work to do. There are no details readily available about the spin-off series' plot, but Freeman is set to star. The project comes courtesy of EuropaCorp and Village Roadshow and does not have a network or streaming home as of yet.
EuropaCorp was started by writer-director Besson (though it was acquired by Vine Alternative Investments in 2019) and has produced action hits like the "Taken" and "The Transporter" films. It's unclear as of publication time what Besson's level of involvement in the new series will be. In 2018, Rolling Stone reported that nine women accused the filmmaker of sexual harassment or assault, while charges against Besson were later dismissed in court, according to the BBC. The filmmaker has continued to direct in recent years, most recently wrapping the Caleb Landry Jones-led film "DogMan."
Oscar-winner Freeman continues to work steadily, appearing in "The Kominsky Method" and the Prime Video series "Solos" last year and co-starring in the ensemble action flick "Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard." This year, he also appeared in the Juliette Binoche-led thriller "Paradise Highway." There's no word yet on whether anyone else from "Lucy" will return for the new series, but the end of the film basically involved the eponymous character turning into an omnipotent computer, so there's always room for a Johansson return in some form or another.
The untitled "Lucy" spin-off has no set release date.