Fresh off a well-deserved Oscar nomination for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, producers Phil Lord and Chris Miller are shopping a new sci-fi project called The Last Human that they also hope to direct, if everything goes according to plan. Multiple studios are bidding on the project, including Sony and Warner Bros., both of which have history with Lord and Miller thanks to the Jump Street and LEGO Movie franchises, respectively.

The Last Human is based on the upcoming children's book of the same name by Lee Bacon, and Shazam! scribe Henry Gayden will write the script. The book is set after a robot apocalypse, when humans have been extinct for 30 years. The story follows a 12-year-old robot who discovers a 12-year-old human girl named Emma, who has spent her entire life hiding inside an underground bunker. They form an unlikely friendship and eventually embark on a dangerous voyage together. Amulet Books will publish The Last Human in October.

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Image via WB

I've gotta be honest... this premise sounds a bit familiar to me, and it also seems to skew young -- whereas I think Lord and Miller are at their best when they're allowed to be a little edgy. I know robots are destined to play a larger role in society in the future, but it just feels like I've seen so many movies like this, though I suppose the devil is in the details. I haven't read the book, so it's hard to judge, but based purely on the generic logline, I'm surprised studios are so hot for this.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, The Last Human is not expected to be Lord and Miller's next directorial effort, as their return behind the camera remains slated to be 20th Century Fox's adaptation of Andy Weir's book Artemis. Lord and Miller haven't directed a feature since Solo: A Star Wars Story, which saw them exit halfway through production and cede the reins to Ron Howard.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse has already won the Golden Globe and the Annie Award for best animated feature, and not only is it expected to win a BAFTA this weekend, but it's currently the front-runner to take home the Oscar later this month. UTA represents Lord and Miller, as well as Gayden and Bacon. Stay tuned as this heated auction develops...

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Image via Warner Bros.
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Image via Columbia Pictures