VARIETY: Brandon Routh and Mena Suvari join ICK

Brandon Routh and Mena Suvari will lead the cast of Grammy-winning director Joseph Kahn's next film, “Ick.”

The film aims to evoke the timeless creature features of the 1980s with an ambitious arsenal of scares and comedy. Routh (“Superman Returns,” “Scott Pilgrim”) stars as Hank, a high school science teacher who still pines for his childhood sweetheart, played by Suvari (“American Beauty,” “American Pie”). While discovering he may have a teenage daughter, portrayed by Malina Weissman (“Lemony Snicket’s Series of Unfortunate Events”), Hank must grapple with a terrifying alien anomaly (the titular “Ick”) invading their small town.

Interstellar Entertainment, co-founded by Udaya Sharma, D.C. Cassidy and Michael Fisk, is backing the project. The company is emerging as a powerhouse in the independent film space, currently in the midst of a $100 million fundraising effort.

Kahn has been celebrated as the director of iconic music videos for artists such as Taylor Swift, Eminem, Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, Lady Gaga, U2 and more. His last film, the Eminem-produced rap battle comedy “Bodied,” won audience awards at TIFF, AFI and Fantastic Fest.

“Ick,” which combines old school prosthetics and state of the art visual effects, unites Kahn with accomplished producer Steven Schneider, whose credits include horror blockbusters like “Paranormal Activity,” “Insidious,” and “Split.” The film was written by Sam Laskey, Dan Koontz and Kahn.

“‘Ick’ is a movie that evokes primal fears about the world today, and best of all, it introduces a unique mysterious monster. I am thrilled that Interstellar has aligned to produce this modern creature feature that is challenging and escapist fun,” Kahn says of the project.

“Embedded within ‘Ick’ are universal themes of bravery, self-sacrifice and the eternal human quest to face the unknown,” says executive producer Udaya Sharma. “Our goal is to not just captivate our audience but to also invoke deep introspection about confronting the unimaginable, while also being incredible pop entertainment for all ages”.

CAA Media Finance and Peter Trinh arranged financing for the film and will co-represent worldwide distribution rights.