Full Breakdown
Roger Avary to Direct AI-Powered Adaptation of Milton’s “Paradise Lost”
4/29/2026, 8:10:11 PM
AI-Driven Adaptation Announced
Ex Machina Studios announced that screenwriter Roger Avary will write and direct an adaptation of John Milton’s 1667 epic poem “Paradise Lost.” The film will use Ex Machina’s generative-AI platform to create its celestial and infernal settings with actors. Cast and start date remain undisclosed.
Historical Attempts and “Unadaptable” Reputation
Milton’s “Paradise Lost” is often called “unadaptable” due to its theological narrative. An Alex Proyas-Warner Bros. project with Bradley Cooper as Lucifer stalled, and Avary previously co-scripted the 2007 “Beowulf.”
Production Team and Partnerships
Ex Machina co-founder and CEO Marco Weber produces; veteran designer Kirk Petruccelli serves as executive producer. K5 International will handle sales at Cannes. Avary is represented by Artist International Group.
AI-Centric Production Approach
The producers call the film “the ultimate faith-based heroic saga” depicting Lucifer’s rebellion and Adam and Eve. Ex Machina’s AI enables expansive worlds on a budget while preserving actors, human-authored narratives, and guild-aligned practices. The budget is ambitious for an indie project.
Official Statements & Responses
Avary said the adaptation will take “a more faithful approach at a fraction of the cost” compared with “Beowulf,” arguing that storytelling need not rely on blockbuster budgets. It will “move audiences, spark conversations, and remind us why we tell stories.” Weber expressed excitement, stating “Roger Avary and Milton. Not much more that needs to be said.”
Skeptical Views
Critics note the poem’s horror-adjacent elements—nightmarish Hell, figures like Sin and Death, and cosmic dread—may hinder mainstream appeal. The “unadaptable” label and past high-budget failures raise doubts about visualizing Milton’s theology.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
All sources agree on Avary’s involvement, Ex Machina’s production role, and Weber’s participation. However, no cast list, shooting schedule, or precise budget figures have been released, leaving key production details unconfirmed.
What’s Next
K5 International will launch world-sales negotiations for “Paradise Lost” at the Cannes market. Casting and principal photography are expected to commence after financing and sales agreements are secured, though no firm dates have been announced.
Verbatim Quotes
“Beowulf was a revisionist reimagining made on a massive budget, but with Paradise Lost I’m taking a more faithful approach at a fraction of the cost, using cutting-edge generative AI to bring Milton’s vision to life in ways unimaginable just a few years ago,” — Roger Avary, Writer-Director
“Roger Avary and Milton. Not much more that needs to be said. We are really excited about this one and cannot wait to see it come to life,” — Marco Weber, CEO, Ex Machina Studios
“the ultimate faith-based heroic saga: a cosmic war in the heavens where the charismatic, rebellious archangel Lucifer defies God, is hurled into the abyss of Hell, and vows revenge on all creation. From the fiery lake of damnation, Lucifer rises as Satan to seduce humanity’s first parents, Adam and Eve, in the flawless Garden of Eden, triggering the Fall of Man and the loss of Paradise itself. At its core, Paradise Lost asks the question every generation must answer: When faced with reckoning and crisis, do we obey, rebel, or redeem?” — Ex Machina producers
“expansive worlds to be realized at a responsible budget while preserving the primacy of real actors, human-authored narratives, and guild-aligned production practices.” — Ex Machina spokesperson
