Whatever happened to…
While wasting time on Scriptsales.com, I came across a sci-fi/thriller you sold to Columbia back in 2000. The log line was: “Three explorers, searching for fossilized evidence of a prehistoric species, discover the true cause of its extinction.”
Sounds cool. Any plot details you can share? Any chance we’ll ever get to see it produced?
–Dan
Los Angeles
The real question is if I’ll ever write it.
I sold this project as a pitch. Basically, I had a good idea for a scary, expensive tent-pole summer movie, so I met with Amy Pascal (who runs Columbia Pictures) and she liked it. Deals were made. Contracts were signed.
But then things got busy with the second Charlie’s Angels, Big Fish, and a half-dozen other movies I worked on. In the meantime, a long-dormant project at another studio came roaring back to life, and it was clear that I’d have to make some big changes to avoid overlapping with their story. (And no, I’m not going to say what that other movie is, but it is being made.)
So, as often happens, my project was put on a back burner. I never typed so much as a “FADE IN:”, nor have I been paid anything. Still, I may get around to writing it one day, because there’s some very intriguing stuff in the concept, which isn’t obvious in the press release.
One thing to bear in mind when reading about any project in the trades is that filmmakers will often be a little disingenous about the actual plot, for fear of spoiling the surprise. That’s certainly the case here. Suffice to say the movie is much less Jurassic Park-y than you’d think.
Who knows. Maybe one day I’ll do it.
Articles
November 5th, 2004 at 10:37 am
Bringing back old memories for you! Their is a sci-fi/thriller coming out soon involving Dinosaur, you would have heard of called Sounds Of Thunder. Guess that we will have to wait and see how well that goes and what interest is taken in that.
We have all have got an idea for a Dinosaur or Alien film, I know I do, its just about finding time to develop it. You write something expecting one thing and you get another. That’s a good thing because you don’t want to bring out the next E.T or Jurassic Park.
I’m jabbering on now.
May 24th, 2005 at 6:58 pm
any updates on this one John?
May 25th, 2005 at 7:54 am
No news. Still a possibility, but nothing’s cooking on it.
March 11th, 2008 at 2:07 am
Hey John,
Did this other movie that was similar to yours ever get made?