NOLAN, OTHERS MAY BE SLIPPING INTO 'THE TWILIGHT ZONE'
Warner Bros. is clearly bent on transporting its untitled TWILIGHT ZONE pic to a higher dimension, as the studio is focusing on top-tier directors — much as it did in its 1983 version. But unlike that pic, which had four helmers steering separate segments, this project will feature a single storyline and one director. Mutual interest is brewing between WB and at least three individuals: Christopher Nolan, Michael Bay and Alfonso Cuaron, Variety's Justin Kroll exclusively reports. (Insiders also say David Yates was on the short list, though his prospects have waned.) Nolan has emerged as the front-runner to get the offer, and though his close relationship with the studio is well documented, it’s not clear whether he’d take on the project, given its similarities to INCEPTION. There’s also a dark horse in the mix: Rupert Wyatt, whose RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES drew rave reviews and more than $400 million worldwide. The 1983 TWILIGHT ZONE pic was split into four stories, each helmed by an A-list director: Steven Spielberg, John Landis (ANIMAL HOUSE) Joe Dante (GREMLINS) and George Miller (MAD MAX).
Posted by Variety at 01:56:49 PM
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118043715
Posted: Fri., Sep. 30, 2011, 1:58pm PT
WB seeks A-list 'Twilight Zone' helmer
Shortlist includes Christopher Nolan, Michael Bay, Alfonso Cuaron
By JUSTIN KROLL
Warner Bros. is clearly bent on transporting its untitled "Twilight Zone" pic to a higher dimension, as the studio is focusing on top-tier directors -- much as it did in its 1983 version.
But unlike that pic, which had four helmers steering separate segments, this project will feature a single storyline and one director.
Mutual interest is brewing between WB and at least three individuals: Christopher Nolan, Michael Bay and Alfonso Cuaron. (Insiders also say David Yates was on the short list, though his prospects have waned.)
Sources say Nolan has emerged as the front-runner to get the offer, and though his close relationship with the studio is well documented, it's not clear whether he'd take on the project, given its similarities to "Inception."
For Bay, it would be his first opportunity to work with Warner Bros. -- and the studio has long coveted his services, given his track record with tentpole projects. Sources add that Bay and his team are high on the script, but one possible obstacle is his desire to get started on passion project "Pain and Gain," a black comedy set in the world of competitive bodybuilding.
Cuaron also has a relationship with the studio, and the most favorable schedule. He's currently wrapping up production on the space adventure "Gravity" and has not committed to his next project.
While sources tell Variety that Nolan, Bay and Cuaron are the favorites, there's also a dark horse in the mix: Rupert Wyatt, whose "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" drew rave reviews and more than $400 million worldwide. Wyatt, who has also not committed to his next project, is a hot commodity in town.
Leonardo DiCaprio would produce through his Appian Way shingle, along with Jennifer Killoran Davisson and George DiCaprio. Rand Ravich and Jason Rothenberg penned the script, and while plot details are under wraps, sources say the film would be a single storyline that touches on several themes from the Rod Sterling TV show that ran from 1959-1964. The 1983 "Twilight Zone" pic was split into four stories, each helmed by an A-list director: Steven Spielberg, John Landis ("Animal House") Joe Dante ("Gremlins") and George Miller ("Mad Max").
