in a
case like this where it does not own worldwide rights to the original but would
have them for any follow-ups, we have a simple request: Don't do it.
"Paranormal" is a one-of-a-kind movie, like "Blair Witch" before it, and we all
remember what happened to "Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2." (You don't remember
it? My point exactly.) Don't dilute this by trying to capture lightning twice;
find something else that's new and original instead.
Writer-director Neill Blomkamp seems to have the right idea as far as doing a
sequel to his "District 9" is concerned: He's not doing one yet, although he
will at some point. But first, Blomkamp is working on a brand new picture, and,
as he did with "District 9," he's getting independent financing so that he can
presumably avoid the creative tinkering of a studio looking over his shoulder.
While it's likely to cost more than the $30 million that "District 9" cost,
Blomkamp says he's "not particularly interested in massive budget films, or
creating huge spectacles," although he adds that the new project will definitely
be science fiction and "unique." I for one can't wait, and I'm psyched for
"District 10" as well.
The long-awaited "Mad Max 4: Fury Road" is scheduled to begin production in
Australia very soon, according to the local newspapers, although Malibu Mel
Gibson is not returning to the role of Max. So who will fill the shoes and, more
importantly, drive the cars? The odds favor Sam Worthington, who is quickly
becoming the go-to man for sci-fi action, with "Terminator Salvation" and the
upcoming "Avatar" and "Clash of the Titans" already under his belt. Is
Worthington becoming too overexposed too fast? I was less than overwhelmed by
his "Terminator" turn but we'll see what directors James Cameron, Louis
Leterrier and George Miller pull out of him.
In other sequel news, David Duchovny is pining to see a third "X-Files"
movie, complete with the alien conspiracy utterly absent from the abysmal
"X-Files: I Want to Believe," in theatres in 2012, which would seem a natural
from a marketing point of view with all the unease about that year. In the
meantime, creator Chris Carter's other series, "Millennium," could also be
heading to the big screen, but without Carter's involvement. Carter quite
possibly screwed up "The X-Files" with that last movie, but taking his other
baby away seems unfair.
('District 9'/Sony Pictures)
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