Jennifer Lawrence to lead The Flood, Zach Cregger’s 2028 sci-fi movie

Zach Cregger is still counting Resident Evil money, and his next movie already has its star. Jennifer Lawrence will lead The Flood, Cregger’s original science-fiction thriller, New Line Cinema and Warner Bros confirmed on Tuesday, 29 September 2026.

Cregger writes, directs and produces. Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment is on board as producer with Roy Lee and Miri Yoon of Vertigo Entertainment, and the release is set for Friday, 11 August 2028. “Jennifer is one of a kind, and I’m beyond excited to see her in this role,” Cregger said, according to TheWrap.

Lawrence, who won the best actress Oscar for Silver Linings Playbook and led The Hunger Games films, is the only cast member named so far. The plot and the trailer are still under wraps. Cregger, though, has dropped a few clues.

What is The Flood movie about?

The Flood is set in deep space, but New Line has not released a synopsis. In a Deadline interview earlier this month, Cregger said the idea came while he had five days to find a pitch for Spielberg, after his wife told him nothing was scarier than being trapped in space, Gizmodo reported on Friday, 4 September.

Reports place the story on an isolated space station. The Playlist quotes Cregger saying the movie “isn’t really horror” and naming Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey as an influence. That would be a change of lane for the man behind Barbarian and Weapons.

How did Jennifer Lawrence’s The Flood end up at Warner Bros?

It started somewhere else. According to The Playlist, The Flood began at Netflix and stalled over whether it would get a proper cinema release. Warner Bros and New Line, the studios behind Weapons, then picked it up, and Warner Bros put the August 2028 date on its slate at CinemaCon in April 2026, Deadline reported at the time.

Weapons had paid off for both of them. The 2025 horror earned about $270 million worldwide, TheWrap reports, and won Amy Madigan the Oscar for best supporting actress in March 2026. Cregger’s Resident Evil for Sony then opened on Friday, 18 September 2026 to $60 million in North America, the best start for both the director and the franchise, according to Deadline.

When will The Flood show in Nigeria?

No Nigerian release date has been announced. The only confirmed date is Warner Bros’ worldwide theatrical target of Friday, 11 August 2028. Chains such as Filmhouse, Genesis and Silverbird publish their listings close to opening, so any local date will come much nearer the time.

What happens next

New Line has not said when filming starts or who else is in the cast. As of 10:30am WAT on Wednesday, 30 September, the studio had released no first-look image or trailer, and the next fixed date on the calendar is the release itself, Friday, 11 August 2028.

FAQ

Is The Flood a sequel or a remake?
No. New Line and Warner Bros describe it as an original sci-fi thriller, written and directed by Zach Cregger.

Who is in the cast of The Flood?
Jennifer Lawrence is the only actor confirmed as of Wednesday, 30 September 2026.

Is The Flood a horror movie?
Cregger has said it “isn’t really horror”, according to The Playlist. It is billed as a sci-fi thriller set in space.

Would Jennifer Lawrence in a Zach Cregger space movie get you into a cinema in 2028? Tell us in the comments.

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