Scott Beck and Bryan Woods to Write and Direct High-Concept Sci-Fi Film for Universal, Spielberg Producing

Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment have acquired a speculative screenplay from writing-producing partners Scott Beck and Bryan Woods. The duo will also serve as directors on the project, described as a “high-concept sci-fi movie.” Production will be overseen by Steven Spielberg through Amblin, alongside Kristie Macosko Krieger and Holly Bario. Beck and Woods will co-produce with Julia Glausi, head of film and TV for their Beck/Woods banner. The announcement was made in 2024; no release date or title has been disclosed.

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Beck and Woods first entered mainstream cinema with the spec script for A Quiet Place (2018), which Paramount turned into a commercially successful horror franchise starring Emily Blunt and John Krasinski. Their most recent releases include the psychological thriller Heretic (2024), which earned $60 million worldwide on a $10 million budget, and the sci-fi feature 65 (2021) starring Adam Driver. The pair have described their career as moving “from A Quiet Place… to Heretic… to 65,” illustrating a pattern of genre-spanning projects. They are represented by CAA, Anonymous Content, and Manatt Phelps & Phillips.

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• Scott Beck – Iowa-born screenwriter and producer; co-creator of the A Quiet Place franchise.

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• Bryan Woods – Screenwriter and producer; long-time collaborator with Beck.

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• Steven Spielberg – Producer via Amblin Entertainment; recent involvement includes “Disclosure Day.”

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• Kristie Macosko Krieger – Amblin producer.

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• Holly Bario – Amblin producer.

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• Julia Glausi – Head of film and TV for Beck/Woods, co-producer on the new sci-fi film.

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• Universal Pictures – Studio acquiring the spec.

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• Amblin Entertainment – Spielberg’s production company partnering on the film.

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• A Quiet Place (2018) – Box-office hit that launched a multi-film franchise.

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• Heretic (2024) – $60 million global gross on a $10 million budget, indicating strong commercial performance for a low-budget thriller.

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• 65 (2021) – Sci-fi feature starring Adam Driver; earlier collaboration with Sony.

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In a 2024 interview with *The Hollywood Reporter*, Beck explained that the current sci-fi concept has been in development for a decade and “won’t go away.” He also emphasized the duo’s willingness to “swing into different sides of the industry pendulum,” moving between contained horror, performance-driven drama, and larger-scale science fiction. Spielberg’s involvement was noted without direct commentary, indicating studio confidence in the project’s scope.

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No critical or oppositional commentary was reported in the available sources.

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• “this huge science-fiction idea that we’ve been sitting with for 10 or 12 years now, and that idea won’t go away.” — Scott Beck, Filmmaker

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• “We just love swinging into different sides of the industry pendulum, going from A Quiet Place, this small contained horror idea (Heretic), to 65, which is bigger, but then swinging so far in the opposite direction with verbose dialogue and something really performance centric.” — Scott Beck, Filmmaker

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The film is currently in development, with Beck and Woods slated to direct and co-produce. Pre-production details, including casting and a shooting schedule, have not been released. Further announcements are expected as the project advances toward principal photography.

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