Picture: Getty Images / Netflix
One of our most anticipated upcoming Netflix movies is The Electric State, directed by The Russo Brothers. Although initially expected for a 2024 release, the big-budget movie is now expected to launch on Netflix globally in March 2025. Here’s everything we know about the movie starring Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt.
The Electric State has been years in the making before arriving on Netflix, so before we dig into what we know about the movie, here’s a quick rundown of the movie’s timeline so far:
- The book was published in December 2017
- The Russo Brothers won the options for the sci-fi novel in December 2017, with Andy Muschietti (It) eyed for the director’s seat and Barbara Muschietti set to produce.
- The project was sold to Universal in December 2020 with Millie Bobby Brown starring, Russo Brothers directing, and Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely writing. It was due for a theatrical release.
- We exclusively reported on Netflix eying taking over the project in June 2022.
- Netflix officially gets the project in 2022, with an announcement in late June 2022.
- Filming concluded in early February 2023, although there were reshoots in 2024.
- The movie is reportedly due to be released on Netflix in March 2025.
- We’ll get our first preview of the movie at NYCC, in which Millie and Chris, in addition to the Russo brothers, will both be in attendance (per Popverse). Netflix’s official The Electric State panel is scheduled to take place at NYCC 2024 on Thursday, October 17 beginning at 4:45 PM on the Empire Stage.
- The movie is officially rated PG-13 for sci-fi violence/action, language, and some thematic material.
AGBO with Anthony and Joe Russo
The Russo Brothers are directing the movie and are the duo behind the production company AGBO.
Joe and Anthony Russo are best known for their work on Marvel’s The Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame. They’ve also directed several projects over the years, including the recently released Netflix action movie The Gray Man.
The pair is working on more Netflix projects, including Extraction 3, Past Midnight, and The Gray Man 2.
Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely are writing the project and serve as executive producers. Sarah Finn and Tara Feldstein serve as casting directors on the project.
The movie is set to have a massive budget of $200 million, which matches the budget assigned to the Russo Brothers’ previous big-hitter for Netflix, The Gray Man. This budget is disputed, but it’s worth noting that one outlet suggests the film cost as much as $320 million, making it Netflix’s most expensive movie by quite some margin.
What’s The Electric State on Netflix about?
The movie is an adaptation of the Simon Stålenhag book of the same name (although it was previously known as Passagen). Stålenhag is behind other well-known books, including Tales from the Loop and Things from the Flood.
Here’s a rundown of the story (courtesy of GoodReads), which is largely expected to be followed by the upcoming movie:
“In 1997, a runaway teenager and her yellow toy robot travel west through a strange USA. The ruins of gigantic battle drones litter the countryside, heaped together with the discarded trash of a high tech consumerist society in decline. As their car approaches the edge of the continent, the world outside the window seems to be unraveling ever faster—as if somewhere beyond the horizon, the hollow core of civilization has finally caved in.”
Who is in the cast for Netflix’s The Electric State?
Millie Bobby Brown – Picture: Getty Images
Millie Bobby Brown was attached to the project back in December 2020 and reportedly states that will continue to be the case for Netflix.
Brown is, of course, best known for her role on Netflix’s Stranger Things but also has worked on the Godzilla franchise and Enola Holmes which is returning. That’s in addition to some of the other upcoming projects the actress has at Netflix.
Speaking to Collider on why she took the role, Brown said:
“… the fact that they wanted me only made me want them even more. And to be able to have that opportunity to make this movie with them has been such an amazing experience, and it’s just been a really good collaborative effort. It feels like I’m actually working with, I mean, real, real experienced, experienced team. Their team is incredible, the directors are amazing, obviously, and I’ve got an amazing cast to be alongside.”
On August 11th, Netflix unveiled the full cast with actors and actresses that’ll feature and a couple that will lend their voices to the movie.
- Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy)
Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All at Once, Crazy Rich Asians, The Witcher: Blood Origin)- Stanley Tucci (The Devil Wears Prada, The Hunger Games)
- Jason Alexander (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Seinfeld)
Michelle Yeoh notably left the cast in November 2022 due to scheduling conflicts.
On the voice talent side:
- Brian Cox (Succession)
- Jenny Slate (Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, Parks & Recreation)
Cast Grid for The Electric State (L-R: Chris Pratt, Michelle Yeoh, Stanley Tucci, Brian Cox, Jenny Slate, Jason Alexander) – Pictures: Getty Images
In November 2022, as part of an extensive Variety profile on AGBO, we got the news that four more big names had joined the cast:
- Giancarlo Esposito (The Mandalorian, Breaking Bad) will play Marshall, a “robotic drone manned by Esposito’s character remotely and tasked with hunting down the robot aiding Brown’s character on her quest.”
- Ke Huy Quan (Everything Everywhere All at Once) will play a doctor. Replaced Michelle Yeoh.
- Anthony Mackie (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Black Mirror) will play a sentient robot who is the sidekick for Pratt’s character.
- Billy Bob Thornton (Fargo, The Gray Man, Goliath) will play a sentient robot from the Civil War.
Pictures: Getty Images
Woody Norman will be playing the role of Christopher, who is described as a supporting 6-year-old boy with an active imagination and brilliant beyond his years.
Young Michelle is an 8-year-old fearless, smart, and caring girl with a strong bond with her young brother.
Rounding out the cast in various supporting roles include:
- Terry Notary as Mr. Peanut as first confirmed by Inverse
- Patti Harrison as Ligotti
- Adam Croasdell as Marshall
- Chris Silvestri as PC
- Gabrielle Maiden as Penny Pal
- Martin Klebba as Herman
- Joe Avena will play President Bill Clinton
- David Alexander as Dave
- Katelin Chesna as a Hospital Doctor
- Rory Keane in a supporting role
- Katherine Romrell in a supporting role
Where is production on The Electric State?
When we first reported on the title, we outlined that production would begin in October 2022. However, in their initial announcement, Netflix only confirmed that production would begin in fall 2022.
That seems to have been given an expanded filming schedule. Reports suggested that filming will take place between mid-October 2022 and wrap sometime between February 2023 (according to ProductionWeekly), while others report the movie may not wrap until April 2023. The movie was filmed in Atlanta, Georgia.
We knew filming was underway in early October 2022 through a couple of Tweets from the Russo Brothers and their production company. On October 4th, the Russo Brothers posted a picture (from their Twitter account, which no longer exists) of a script on set.
The Electric State movie script – Picture: Russo Brothers
AGBO then tweeted on October 7th:
“AGBO team behind-the-scenes the first week of production: directors Joe & Anthony Russo, co-writers Stephen McFeely and Chris Markus, and producers Jake Aust and Mike Larocca”
The Electric State behind-the-scenes photos – Picture: AGBO
The movie operates under the working/production title of “STORMWIND.”
Numerous onset photos of Millie Bobby Brown have leaked since the commencement of filming.
ACWORTH, GEORGIA – OCTOBER 24: Millie Bobby Brown seen on set for “Electric State” on October 24, 2022 in Acworth, Georgia. (Photo by MEGA/GC Images)
Picture: BackGrid
On November 5th, 2022, it was reported that a crew member had died while filming in an “off-set car crash.” In a statement on Instagram, the Russo Brothers said:
“The Electric State production family lost a valued production crew member yesterday. We express our deepest condolences to his family and friends. We love our crew like family. And this is devastating news to all of us.”
Filming on Netflix’s The Electric State was initially expected to wrap in April 2023.
However, reports surfaced that the movie wrapped on February 6th, 2023.
Millie and Jake Bongiovi at ‘The Electric State’ wrap party yesterday.
: monica_2020 on Instagram. pic.twitter.com/nV8WytXmBN
— Millie B. Brown Updates (@milliesources) February 5, 2023
On February 8th, 2023 – AGBO Films on Instagram confirmed that the movie had wrapped filming in a post that said the following:
“That’s a wrap on The Electric State – shoutout to the AGBO team, and big congrats to the amazing cast and crew”
Picture: agbofilms
The movie was scheduled for additional photography and reshoots beginning in early 2024. According to multiple sources, additional production time was planned for March 20th through April 5th, 2024. Per those sources, filming will or has already occurred in Atlanta (Georgia), Moab (Utah), and Brazil.
Millie Bobby Brown was spotted on set during this reshoots by outlets like Gawby.
Picture: Gawby
When will The Electric State be released on Netflix?
In 2023, a Variety interview with the Russo Brothers suggested at the time that they were eyeing a 2024 Netflix release date for the movie.
However, when Netflix unveiled its 2024 slate in February, The Electric State was among a few other Netflix movies that were notably missing.
In the May 2024 edition of License Global, the movie was listed in the “2025 and beyond” section. That came hot on the heels of Netflix once again not including the title in their Upfront 2024 presentation, which looked ahead at the movies and series to release in the final half of the year.
Over the summer of 2024, Deadline slipped in one of their articles that the movie would be due out in March 2025, replicating the same release month of big swings for Netflix, such as Damsel and The Adam Project.
Are you looking forward to watching The Electric State on Netflix? Let us know in the comments.
