Fairly low key horror director Jonathan Liebesman (DARKNESS FALLS, TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: THE BEGINNING) is moving up the Hollywood ladder with a decent sized apocalyptic/sci-fi studio film.
He is in talks to direct Columbia’s BATTLE: LOS ANGELES, a full on action movie about one Marine platoon’s encounter against an alien invasion on the streets of L.A.
I’ve liked the idea since it was picked up in April by Neal Mortiz from a script by Chris Bertolini (THE GENERAL’S DAUGHTER), reminds me of the kind of crazy idea John Carpenter might have gotten in the 80’s with Kurt Russell…
The Hollywood Reporter say that Liebesman had to pull out all the stops to convince Columbia he was the right man for the job as several others were interested. His presentation, showing confidence and passion for the project that he calls BLACK HAWK DOWN meets INDEPENDENCE DAY and the fact he has already done several pre-viz sequences and has scouted locations in L.A. secured him the gig.
And we wish him well, hopefully aiming for more John Carptenter than this year’s Neil Marshall movie DOOMSDAY.
