After years of working to get it off the ground, Avengers: Endgame duo Joe and Anthony Russo's The Electric State is moving forward and Chris Pratt is in talks to join. Based on Simon Stålenhag's graphic novel of the same name, the sci-fi thriller is set in a retro-futuristic past and centers on an orphaned teenager as she travels through the American West landscape in the hopes of finding her brother. The young protagonist must survive the bizarre new world with the help of a sweet but mysterious robot and an eccentric drifter.

An adaptation of The Electric State was first announced in late 2017 when the Russo brothers teamed up with IT director Andy Muschietti and Captain America vets Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely to develop the film. The project would languish in development hell for sometime, finally gaining some steam in late 2020 as Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown signed on to lead the cast. Netflix recently signed on board for The Electric State and now a major name may be coming with them.

Netflix announced earlier today that it had picked up the rights to the Russo brothers' long-gestating adaptation of The Electric State, in which Millie Bobby Brown was already set to star. On the heels of this announcement, Deadline brought word that Chris Pratt is in talks with the streamer to join the cast of the sci-fi thriller, with rumors having surfaced about the casting earlier this year. Sources report that while a deal hasn't closed for Pratt to join, he is still in negotiations.


Should Pratt close a deal with the streamer for the film, it would mark the latest collaboration between the Marvel Cinematic Universe star and the Russo brothers after they directed him in both Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. It would also mark his first collaboration with Netflix and continue his recent trend of partnering with streaming platforms, having worked with Prime Video for both The Tomorrow War movie and the upcoming thriller series The Terminal List. Outside of the streaming world, Pratt has a number of big-screen projects in the works, including his MCU return in Thor: Love and Thunder in July as well as Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 arriving in 2023 and the animated Super Mario Bros. movie as the titular plumber, which has seen a lot of backlash from fans of the Nintendo franchise.

With Netflix now signing on for The Electric State, it also marks a major reunion between the streaming platform and the talent behind the adaptation. The Russo brothers recently worked with Netflix on the Ryan Gosling-led thriller The Gray Man, which reportedly has plans to expand into a larger franchise, while Brown initially rose to stardom with her role in the hit Stranger Things series and also leading both Enola Holmes and its upcoming sequel. Audiences will have to keep their eyes peeled for further details on The Electric State as it is set to begin production this fall.