Shawn Levy, the Deadpool and Stranger Things producer, will direct and produce a new Netflix science-fiction feature written by Max Taxe, centered on a grieving father who gets an answer from the stars after sending a message into space. The project is pitched as emotional sci-fi in the vein of Arrival and The Adam Project, while Levy wraps Star Wars: Starfighter with Ryan Gosling.
A grieving father sends a message into the cosmos and gets an answer. That eerie hook powers Somewhere Out There, Netflix’s next ambitious sci‑fi, steered by Shawn Levy from a screenplay by Max Taxe. Pitched between the quiet awe of Arrival and the crowd‑pleasing warmth of The Adam Project, it aims for spectacle with a pulse. As Levy wraps Star Wars: Starfighter with Ryan Gosling, this new orbiting title is already stoking big expectations and casting whispers.
A visionary director joins Netflix for a bold new project
You can sense when a filmmaker and a platform speak the same language. That is the case again as Shawn Levy, the director behind the Marvel hit Deadpool & Wolverine and executive producer of Stranger Things, circles back to Netflix. He will direct and produce Somewhere Out There, a science-fiction feature the streamer is treating as a headline release in its next wave of big swings.
What we know about ‘Somewhere Out There’
Written by Max Taxe (Moonshot), this emotional sci-fi centers on a grieving father who sends a message into the cosmos after losing his wife, only to hear a reply. The pitch recalls the measured awe of Arrival and the time-slip warmth of Levy’s The Adam Project. Casting is not confirmed, though chatter has linked frequent Levy collaborators to the project.
The premise leans into intimate stakes with expansive scale, the zone where Levy often thrives. He has a record of pairing spectacle with feeling, which helped turn Deadpool & Wolverine into a $1.3 billion global juggernaut. For Netflix, that blend suggests a movie designed to play big at home, while still delivering the dramatic pull of a theatrical crowd-pleaser.
Shawn Levy’s plate is already full
Levy is juggling timelines on and off screen. He recently wrapped production on Star Wars: Starfighter, led by Ryan Gosling, now in post with a planned theatrical date of May 26, 2027. That commitment makes the timing of Somewhere Out There an intriguing puzzle, but also a vote of confidence that he can marshal large-scale projects in parallel.
Industry watchers will note how his recent run at Netflix, capped by The Adam Project’s broad reach, has kept pace with his franchise work elsewhere. Indeed, the streamer tends to give Levy the latitude to build character-first genre stories, supported by top-tier craft. That approach resonates with viewers who want more than just VFX fireworks.
Netflix’s ongoing partnership with Shawn Levy signals ambition
Backing Somewhere Out There fits Netflix’s strategy to anchor its slate with filmmaker-led, star-forward event films. The company has leaned into recognizability, from brand-name IP to household creators, and Levy sits squarely in that lane. In addition to his Marvel tenure, his stewardship of Stranger Things proved he can deliver scale and continuity under pressure.
If this new film lands the way The Adam Project did, expect a campaign built around heart, hope, and cosmic mystery. And yes, the casting watch will be fierce. Until then, the signal from Netflix is clear: when it comes to cinematic sci-fi at home, Levy is one of the sure bets they are willing to back loudly.