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In Netflix’s latest sci-fi addition, Atlas, Jennifer Lopez takes on the role of Atlas Shepherd, a brilliant yet cynical data analyst, working for the International Coalition of Nations (ICN), who harbors a profound distrust of artificial intelligence.
The upcoming action thriller, set in the future, is directed by Brad Peyton and boasts a star-studded cast including Simu Liu, Sterling K. Brown, and Mark Strong. The official logline for the film states:
“An intelligence analyst gets stranded on a distant planet and must learn to fight inside a military-grade mech suit in order to survive.”
Jennifer Lopez’s comments on Atlas
Speaking to Netflix about the character in her second film with the streaming giant, the actress-singer said:
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“Atlas is someone who has basically shut out the world around her. She doesn’t trust anybody and doesn’t want anything to do with AI.”
Jennifer Lopez's first Netflix film came in the form of the 2023 film Mother, where she portrayed a woman forced to emerge from hiding to shield her daughter from perilous threats. A 2022 documentary on her life and career, Halftime, is also available for streaming on Netflix.
She also spoke on the film's narrative simplicity, reflecting:
“I always see everything as a love story, but this is a different kind of love between two beings who connect in disastrous circumstances, and teach each other how to be more human.”
Cast and plot line
Tasked with thwarting a rogue AI and safeguarding humanity, Lopez’s Atlas finds herself thrust into a high-stakes mission to apprehend a renegade robot. However, a twist of fate lands her on a hostile alien planet.
As alliances are tested and betrayals loom, Atlas must navigate a perilous landscape where survival depends on trust in the unlikeliest of allies. While Lopez portrays the titular character, Simu Liu takes on the role of Harlan, the first AI terrorist crafted by Atlas’ mother to serve humanity.
Reflecting on his character, Liu explained to Netflix:
"He was created by a brilliant scientist to be a protector of mankind, but unfortunately, you know how some things go."
Liu's previous roles include appearances in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021) and Barbie (2023).
Joining the cast is Sterling K. Brown as Colonel Banks, the ICN officer-in-charge of the Harlan mission. The quintessential Mark Strong portrays General Boothe, the ICN officer who sends Atlas on the Harlan mission.
Additionally, Abraham Popoola appears as Casca Vix and Gregory James Cohan provides the voice for Smith, Atlas' AI helper. Lana Parrilla rounds out the ensemble as Val Shepherd, Harlan's creator, and Atlas' mother.
More about the movie
Directed by Brad Peyton, whose prior hits include Rampage and San Andreas, underscored the film's thematic core, emphasizing the challenge of trust. "The heart of Atlas is really about trust and how difficult it is to trust people," he explained to Netflix.
“Atlas is told through the lens of a woman who’s learning to trust after undergoing a trauma that’s upended her life. It’s a reminder of how we have to have deep, meaningful relationships in our lives, in one way, shape, or form. That you can’t do everything by yourself; you have to choose to trust people at a certain point and let them in.”
Atlas is scheduled to premiere on Netflix on May 24, 2024.
