Zendaya Will Star in Alex Garland's Next Sci-Fi Film at A24

Zendaya has lined up her next big screen project, and it reunites two of the most closely watched names in modern genre filmmaking with the studio that helped shape both of their careers. Deadline reported on October 15, 2026, that the actress will star in an untitled science fiction film written and directed by Alex Garland for A24. The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, TheWrap and People reported the news the same day.

For fans who have followed Zendaya through Dune, Euphoria and this year's run of blockbusters, the pairing feels like a natural next step. For Garland, it adds one of the most bankable stars in the business to a slate that already includes one of the most ambitious video game adaptations in development.

What We Know About the Project

So far, very little has been made public, and that appears to be by design. Deadline reports that plot details are being kept under wraps, and The Hollywood Reporter notes that the film is expected to shoot in 2027. No character details, co-stars or release date have been announced.

TheWrap adds that Garland is currently in post-production on Elden Ring, his adaptation of the FromSoftware fantasy game, and will work on that film and the new sci-fi project at the same time. That means audiences should not expect to see the Zendaya film for some time, but it also signals that A24 is committing to Garland as a long term creative partner rather than a one project director.

The secrecy fits Garland's track record. His films tend to arrive with spare marketing and an emphasis on atmosphere and ideas, leaving audiences to discover the story in the theater.

A Long Partnership Between Garland and A24

Garland and A24 have worked together since his breakout as a director with Ex Machina, which earned him an Oscar nomination for its screenplay. According to Deadline, the studio has since been behind Men, Civil War and Warfare, the war film he made with Ray Mendoza.

Elden Ring is the next title on that list. Deadline reports it is dated for March 3, 2028, and stars Kit Connor, Cailee Spaeny and Ben Whishaw, while TheWrap lists Nick Offerman, Tom Burke, Ruby Cruz and Sonoya Mizuno among the cast. Outside A24, Garland also wrote and produced 28 Years Later and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple for Sony Pictures.

That history matters for the new project. Garland has built a reputation for smart, unsettling science fiction that treats big concepts seriously, and A24 has given him room to make films that do not look like anything else on the release calendar.

Zendaya and A24 Keep Building Together

This will be Zendaya's third collaboration with A24, People reports. The studio was a producer on Euphoria, the HBO drama that wrapped its final season this year and earned her two Emmy Awards for lead actress in a drama series, according to TheWrap. She also starred opposite Robert Pattinson in Kristoffer Borgli's The Drama, which Deadline says passed $134 million at the worldwide box office.

Deadline also notes that she has previously been attached to play singer Ronnie Spector in Be My Baby, an A24 film from Barry Jenkins. Taken together, those projects show a studio and a star who keep choosing each other, which is rare in an industry where talent often moves from deal to deal.

A Remarkable Year on the Big Screen

The new casting caps what has been an extraordinary 2026 for the actress. Deadline reports that Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey, in which she appears, has passed $1.7 billion worldwide and is considered an Oscar frontrunner, while Spider-Man: Brand New Day, in which she returned as MJ, has topped $2.5 billion worldwide.

She is not finished for the year, either. Zendaya returns as Chani in Denis Villeneuve's Dune: Part Three, the final chapter of the trilogy, which opens in theaters on December 18. People points out that the Garland film will be her first new science fiction role since the Dune series.

What Comes Next

For now, the most important questions remain open: what the story is about, who will join her in the cast, and when A24 plans to release it. With shooting expected in 2027 and Elden Ring due in 2028, the film is likely still a long way from theaters.

What is clear is that one of Hollywood's busiest superstars has chosen a filmmaker known for bold, original science fiction. We will keep following the project as casting and production details are announced. In the meantime, tell us which Alex Garland film you would most like to see Zendaya's new project resemble.