Renner trailer stars Frankie Muniz

In the trailer for Renner, Frankie Muniz accidentally programs her manipulative mother into an AI life coach — and no, this isn’t a comedy.

I know the headline does Runs sounds a bit like a comedy (My Mother the AI), but it trailer because the new Frankie Muniz movie is actually a dark sci-fi thriller. The Malcolm in the middle Actor stars as a computer genius who invents an AI life coach to help him find love, but realizes too late that he has accidentally programmed his manipulative mother into the code.

“Bringing this story to life required a lead that could not only embody Renner’s brilliance, but also capture the emotional complexity of a man struggling with forces far beyond his control. Frankie Muniz did just that – delivering a performance unlike anything audiences have ever seen from him,” director/producer Robert Rippberger said in a statement. “AI is not a distant possibility – it is here, shaping our lives right now. Renner explores that reality and asks: What happens when the creation surpasses the creator? I hope this film will spark conversation, provoke thought and remind us all that every technological leap has a cost.“

The official synopsis for Runs: “Renner, a reclusive computer genius driven by a need for control, designs an AI named Salenus to help him overcome his crippling social anxiety and find love. Encouraged by Salenus, Renner forms a connection with her alluring neighbor Jamie, but their relationship begins to unravel when she begins to interact with the AI. As dark secrets and betrayals begin to emerge, Salenus’ influence on Renner takes a malevolent turn, leaving him embroiled in the devastating consequences of his invention.” Luke Medina and Martin Medina wrote the screenplay Runs from a story by Luke Medina. In addition to Muniz, the film stars Violett Beane, Taylor Gray and Marcia Gay Harden.

Speaking of Muniz, the actor is set to return for a revival of Malcolm in the middle along with Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek. The project is being developed for Disney+ and will be limited to just four episodes. The series will follow Malcolm and his daughter as they are drawn into family-related chaos when Hal (Cranston) and Lois (Kaczmarek) insist that their brilliant son attend their 40th wedding anniversary.

Runs will be released in US theaters on February 7.