Forest Whitaker has joined Theo James in the Netflix science-fiction thriller “How It Ends.”

David M. Rosenthal is directing from a script by Brooks McLaren. The project is being produced by Paul Schiff, Tai Duncan, Kelly McCormick, and Patrick Newall.

Production stars July in Winnipeg, Canada.

Sierra/Affinity developed the project with Paul Schiff Productions, and is handling worldwide sales and financing of the film. Sierra’s Nick Meyer and Marc Schaberg are executive producers. Netflix acquired worldwide rights to the action thriller in January.

The story centers on a mysterious apocalyptic event that turns the roads into mayhem, and a young father who will stop at nothing to get home to his pregnant wife on the other side of the country.

Whitaker most recently starred in “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” as Saw Gerrera, in “Arrival” opposite Amy Adams as Colonel Weber, and in “Southpaw” as the trainer of Jake Gyllenhaal’s character. He recently wrapped Marvel’s “Black Panther,” n which he plays Zuri alongside Michael B. Jordan.

Whitaker won the Academy Award for best actor for “The Last King of Scotland.” Whitaker is represented by WME and Brillstein.

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