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Though the 2024 movie schedule will not see the release of the film adaptation of Michael Crichton and James Patterson’s best-seller Eruption, the gears are turning pretty fast behind the scenes. As the previous Eruption movie update saw Free Solo and Nyad directors Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi secured as the helmers, a pretty huge step forward has now been made. Not only does the movie now have a studio home, but a big star is rumored for the lead role.
Per reporting from Deadline, Eruption’s bidding war is officially over, and with the dust settled, Sony is now the that will be joining titans like Warner Bros. and Universal as part of the Michael Crichton legacy of cinema. But what’s truly mind blowing is that, while there’s no commitment just yet, Keanu Reeves is allegedly having conversations to presumably play the protagonist.
If this is true, Eruption would see the John Wick star playing John MacGregor, the intrepid leader of the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. In anticipation of a major volcanic event of great magnitude and rarity, his keen scientific mind and leadership is needed when the U.S. Army comes knocking. As it turns out, this ecological disaster has the potential to destroy all life on earth, thanks to a buried military secret that’s waiting to go wrong.
Having read the book, I absolutely dig Keanu Reeves playing Eruption’s lead.
MacGregor is a total textbook hero who not only loves to give back to his Hawaiian community, but also happens to be a surfer. After all of the blockbuster action that we’ve seen The Matrix legend engage in through his recent career (and will see again through his role in the John Wick Presents: Ballerina cast), Reeves is certainly ready to jump into a disaster that only Michael Crichton could have cooked up.
This casting development is not yet confirmed, as Eruption is in some pretty early days. There are still a bunch of new we’re still waiting to hear, such as the identity of the writer/writers who will be adapting the novel for the screen. Considering the huge effort Sony put into winning this bid, along with the disaster movie Twisters’ first positive critical reactions making news, it feels like the Michael Crichton renaissance fans have been hoping for is closer to becoming a reality.
Including Keanu Reeves in that package only makes things all the more exciting, so naturally we’ll have to keep our eyes and ears open for what comes next for Eruption. However, what we do know is that Reeves will next be seen, or rather heard, as Shadow the Hedgehog in Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which is set for release on December 20. And if you haven’t read Eruption yet, you can currently find it at all major booksellers.