Daniel H. Wilson’s novel Robopocalypse is being adapted into a film by Steven Spielberg. Actors Ben Whishaw and Anne Hathaway have recently been cast in lead roles, with Chris Hemsworth still in talks. That alone gives production a strong start; all three are charismatic and more than capable.

In a futuristic setting, a computer scientist accidentally releases a powerful A.I. named Archos. Self-aware, Archos immediately puts things in motion to eradicate human civilization to maintain the biodiversity of earth. And like you’d expect, a human resistance is formed.

Sounds a lot like The Terminator, doesn’t it? With that in mind and the silly title, you’d imagine it’d end up like a Syfy original film, but take this into account: Wilson has a PhD in robotics. Suffice to say, actual robotic research was used to inspire the robots in his book. Such an approach to the idea is something Spielberg will want to follow.

Robopocalypse is slated for release April 25, 2014.