Michael Sheen confirmed for "unpredictable" thriller that "stays with you"

He may be currently appearing in the second season of The Celebrity Traitors, but Michael Sheen has landed another project. This time around, he's swapping the Scottish Highlands for the world of technology.

The Welsh actor has joined the cast of C.L.A.Y., a sci-fi thriller from writer-director Simon Afram. It already boasts a stacked cast, with Nicolas Cage, Jordi Mollà, Emilio Sakraya and Adrian Topol all attached to the project.

As per the logline, the film will follow a "brilliant but socially invisible computer prodigy who finds purpose and belonging when he is drawn into C.L.A.Y. (Clowns Laughing At You), an underground hacker collective".

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The group's "daring exploits" often turn "digital provocation into real-world consequences", and they soon find themselves on the run from various factions - including intelligence agencies and criminal syndicates - when their notoriety grows.

Speaking about the upcoming film, Afram, who also serves as a producer, said: "C.L.A.Y. is about identity, belonging and the extraordinary power the digital world can have over our real lives.

"At its heart, it's a deeply human story about people searching for purpose in a world where almost anything is possible behind a screen. I wanted to create a film that pulls you in, remains unpredictable, and stays with you long after the film ends."

Production on the sci-fi thriller is due to commence in London in November, with a release likely not coming until 2028. It is also said that further casting will take place in the coming weeks, so expect plenty more announcements!

The exciting project, which is billed as a "psychological cyber thriller", sees Sheen reunite with Cage and Afram following their work together on Fortitude, an upcoming World War II espionage film from director Simon West.

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Sheen's other upcoming projects include Out There, a sci-fi comedy-drama set in his home country of Wales, and The Last Disturbance of Madeline Hynde, a new psychological thriller from writer-director Kenneth Branagh.

The Welsh actor also has plenty of TV roles under his belt, and he's currently appearing alongside 20 other famous faces in The Celebrity Traitors. The hit BBC series returned on Thursday (1 October), where fellow actor Richard E Grant dropped a huge bombshell.

C.L.A.Y. has no release date, while The Celebrity Traitors airs on BBC One and streams on BBC iPlayer.

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Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media.  His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.