Are We Witnessing the Birth of the Next 'District 9'?
Uruguayan commercials director sells his alien pitch for seven figures
Back on November 20, The Hollywood Reporter pointed out Uruguayan filmmaker Fede Alvarez's 2009 short Ataque de Panico (Panic Attack) after the sub-5-minute short made its way onto YouTube and became an instant online phenomenon.
Now, Variety is reporting Sam Raimi's Ghost House Pictures has made a seven-figure deal with Alvarez to direct his pitch for a feature length alien invasion film. Of course, this deal is prompting people to ask if we are looking at the next Neill Blomkamp, the South African director of this summer's breakout hit District 9.
Alvarez made Panic Attack through his commercial production house at a cost between $300-$500 about an apocalyptic robot attack. Following the online storm of attention, he made a trip to Hollywood, where he met with every major agency, management firm and law firm that responded to the short–and a big deal.
The film Alvarez agreed to make at Ghost House is an original idea for an alien invasion and not based on the short as the production house is now seeking a screenwriter to pen the script based on the helmer's pitch.
If this doesn't have potential filmmakers realizing the power of the Internet it should, as a once unknown Uruguayan commercials director is now rubbing elbows with Sam Raimi and prepping his own feature film all based on the short you can watch directly below.
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