Deadline reported in May 2024 that Glen Powell was in early talks to star in J.J. Abrams’ next feature. At the time, the movie had no public title and almost nothing was known about it beyond the fact that Abrams had written the script and planned to direct.
That report gave the project its first real burst of momentum. Powell was already on a strong run, and attaching him to Abrams’ next film made the mystery movie feel a lot more immediate.
We now know that project became The Great Beyond, so this casting report stands as the first major public step in the film’s rollout.
Source: Deadline