Michelle Monaghan has signed on to play the female lead in Sony’s Pixels.
The Hollywood Reporter broke the story, saying that Monaghan will play a military weapons developer and love interest for Sandler’s character. This announcement comes on the heels of Monaghan’s acclaimed turn on HBO’s True Detective, which recently concluded its first season.
Chris Columbus, who directed the first two Harry Potter movies, is directing the film, ComingSoon.net reported. Adam Sandler is set to star, while actors Josh Gad, Kevin James and Peter Dinklage have all been cast as well.
Pixels, based on Patrick Jean’s shirt film of the same name, revolves around an alien invasion that’s triggered by the aliens’ erroneous belief that video feeds of arcade games are a declaration of war. In response, the U.S. president assembles unlikely group of old-school video gamers to save the world.
Sandler’s role is that of a washed-up video game champion, Gad will play a paranoid genius and Dinklage will be Sandler’s old gaming rival.
Filming is expected to begin in Toronto in July.