Lucky Number and producers frame 'Safe Space' as a wildly original, smart, and provocative satire that uses sci-fi to explore the absurdities of modern intimacy and screen-driven communication.
Insiders suggest the casting of King and Stanfield is a deliberate move to capture the 'toxic rebound' zeitgeist, promising 'eye-searing' chemistry that blends horror-comedy sensibilities with high-concept romance.
Sales launch at the American Film Market on October 29, 2026; filming scheduled for Q2 2027 in the U.S.; directed by Gillian Wallace Horvat, whose debut 'I Blame Society' was named a best film of 2021 by New York Magazine.
Joey King and LaKeith Stanfield are literally dating an alien in this sci-fi satire about modern dating disasters, proving that even in space, the red flags remain Earth-shatteringly relatable.
If you thought dating in Los Angeles was hell, wait until you try dating an extraterrestrial. Joey King and Oscar-nominee LaKeith Stanfield are teaming up for "Safe Space," a provocative sci-fi comedy that trades traditional rom-com tropes for galactic-level toxicity. Directed by Independent Spirit Award-nominated filmmaker Gillian Wallace Horvat, the project is being hailed as a satirical dive into the meaning of sex and love, promising to expose just how ridiculous our bonding rituals have become in an increasingly screen-driven society.
The premise is pure tea-rex gold: King plays Sherrie, an intelligent but insecure scientist who escapes a toxic workplace romance only to rebound immediately into the arms of a "gorgeous alien," portrayed by Stanfield. The film explores the ways people communicate—or fail to—when the stakes are literally interstellar. Horvat, known for her sharp, irreverent voice in her debut "I Blame Society," describes the collaboration as an "unbelievable creative realization," claiming the pair’s chemistry is "eye-searing" and that they will be a "revelation for audiences." This isn't just a small indie passion project; it’s a major sales push.
French sales outfit Lucky Number, alongside CAA Media Finance and WME Independent, is launching sales at the American Film Market. They are even unveiling an exclusive sizzle reel for buyers, signaling strong confidence in the material. Producer Karen Lunder, whose credits include Denis Villeneuve’s "Arrival," called the script "wildly original" and praised Horvat’s "command of tone," asserting that King and Stanfield are going to "combust on screen together." While the film is currently in the financing stage, a shoot is planned for the second quarter of 2027 in the U.S., with further casting underway.
This marks a bold sophomore outing for Horvat, who previously earned critical acclaim when "I Blame Society" was named one of the best films of 2021 by New York Magazine. With King fresh off "Practical Magic 2" and Stanfield coming off his Oscar-nominated performance in "Judas and the Black Messiah," this duo is bringing serious star power to a concept that dares to ask: Is the monster under your bed worse than the alien on your date?
