LOS ANGELES: "Game of Thrones" star Emilia Clarke and Oscar-nominated actor Chiwetel Ejiofor are teaming up for "The Pod Generation", a feature film billed as a sci-fi romantic comedy.
The movie will be directed by Sophie Barthes, known for films like "Cold Souls" and "Madame Bovary".
According to Variety, Clarke and Ejiofor will play Rachel and Alvy, respectively, a New York couple who are looking forward to starting a family.
"Rachel's work gives them a chance to use a new tool developed by a tech giant, Pegasus, which offers couples the opportunity to share pregnancy on a more equal footing via detachable artificial wombs, or pods. Alvy, a botanist and devoted purist, has doubts, but his love for Rachel prompts him to take a leap of faith. And so begins the wild ride to parenthood in this brave new world," reads the official logline of the film.
Barthes said working with Clarke and Ejiofor as a couple on screen is a dream come true.
"Emilia's versatility, her disarming sense of humor and capacity to navigate complex emotions are a perfect match to Chiwetel's charisma and extraordinary screen presence," she added.
Clarke is also attached to executive produce the film.
Fionnuala Jamison, managing director of MK2 Films who will sell the film globally, described "The Pod Generation" as a "captivating near-future story with a distinctly feminine twist that really haunts as much as it entertains."
The film, Jamison said, also raises "ethical questions about where technology is taking us, like once the womb has been commodified, what's next?" The film is produced by Yann Zenou for the Paris-based shingle Quad ("The Death of Stalin") and Genevieve Lemal for Scope, the banner from Prague behind films like "Blue is the Warmest Colour" and the recently-released "Annette".
Andrij Parekh, known for his work on HBO series "Succession" and "Scenes from a Marriage", will serve as cinematographer on "The Pod Generation". Shooting is expected to begin in March 2022.