...proving that unlike the people in these films, this franchise can't die. Here's the story from The Hollywood Reporter:Eric Heisserer, the scribe who penned Universal's "The Thing" prequel, is writing "Final Destination 5," the latest installment in New Line's horror franchise.
The "Destination" movies, which center on the idea that one can't cheat death, usually begin with a group of people who survive a catastrophe because of the intervention of one person who has a premonition. Death, however, will have its due, and the survivors end up expiring in elaborate Rube Goldberg-like fashion.
The plot for the latest installment is being kept under wraps, though one scene involves a character undergoing laser-eye surgery.
The movies, produced by Craig Perry, have consistently been profitable for New Line because they tend to be made with modest budgets and generate solid returns, usually in the mid-$50 million range domestically.
The company thought the fourth installment, released last year in 3D, was going to be the last one because it was a tough production that faced reshoots -- and received a critical drubbing. However, when it grossed $66 million domestically and was a big success overseas, it was only a matter of time before another one came along.
News of the fifth movie came during ShoWest in March, when Warner Bros.' Alan Horn disclosed its development.
New Line, hoping to stave off a mummifying franchise, is trying to break out of the repetition of the first four movies and believes that Heisserer is part of the solution; the UTA-repped writer is developing a reputation for being the go-to guy for reinventing branded material. Heisserer wrote the greenlight draft of New Line's remake of "A Nightmare on Elm Street," which opens next week, as well as "The Thing," which is in production in Toronto with Mary Elizabeth Winstead in the lead.
New Line is putting together a list of directors for the project, which would be shot in 3D for a release next year.
-Thoughts?
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This franchise maintains its mediocre status through each film, so that's something, I guess...
ReplyDeleteI wonder though if this means the remake of The Thing has a decent script...
ReplyDeleteIt makes money, so good for the suits. But for me this franchise should have stopped after the second one.
ReplyDeleteYea, I'm interested in seeing where "The Thing" re-vamp/remake goes, since there definitely is some potential for a prequel there...
ReplyDeleteMore or less agreed, Matthew.
ReplyDeleteAnd indeed, Joshua.
ReplyDelete