Emma Roberts, Jack Whitehall Starring in Sci-Fi Comedy ‘Robots’

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Emma Roberts and Jack Whitehall are starring in the near-future independent comedy “Robots” with Ant Hines directing.

“Robots” is set in a near future America and follows a womanizer and a gold digger who trick people into relationships with illegal robot doubles of themselves. When they unwittingly use this scam on each other, their robot doubles fall in love and elope, forcing the duo to team up to hunt them down before the authorities discover their secret.

“Robots” is based on the short story by science fiction writer Robert Sheckley. Hines and Casper Christensen penned the screenplay.

Hines has been the longtime writing partner of Sacha Baron Cohen and wrote the scripts for “Borat,” “Bruno,” “Who is America?” and “Da Ali G Show.”

“When this project was first conceived, it seemed relevant — at the risk of sounding incredibly self-important — it now seems almost necessary,” Hines said. “Set against a backdrop of an America seeded by the current administration, empathy has been devalued and one underclass has been expelled, only to be replaced by another: Robots.”

Stephen Hamel (“Passengers”), who developed the project under his Company Films banner, and Cassian Elwes (“Mudbound”) at Elevated are producing. CAA Media Finance, which arranged financing, represents the film’s domestic distribution rights. Rocket Science is handling international sales at the virtual Cannes Market.

Whitehall has most recently been seen in Disney’s “The Nutcracker and the Four Realms” and Amazon’s “Good Omens.”  Roberts will next be seen as the female lead in the Netflix romantic comedy “Holidate, ” scheduled for release this fall.

Whitehall is represented by CAA and United Agents. Roberts is represented by CAA and Sweeney Entertainment. Hines and Christensen are both repped by ICM.