Lionsgate is getting into the Fede Alvarez business. After it was reported that Alvarez, one of the best horror directors working today, was set to begin work on a new thriller, it appears that Lionsgate has won an auction to land the film, now titled “16 States.”
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According to Deadline, Lionsgate will be the studio behind Alvarez’s next film, the thriller titled “16 States.” The film will be directed by Alvarez based on a script by John Requa and Glenn Ficarra. It’s unclear what the plot of the film might be, but we’re willing to guess it is likely the same project that was teased last year and described as “‘The Shining’ set in the White House.”
UPDATE: According to THR, the film is described as a zombie pandemic film, focused on a mother trying to reach her family during the catastrophic event, with shades of Will Smith’s “I Am Legend.”
Alvarez is probably best known for his first two films, the underrated “Evil Dead” remake and the incredibly successful “Don’t Breathe.” His most recent film is the thriller, “The Girl in the Spider’s Web,” the not-so-popular sequel to ‘Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ (though, it’s not nearly as bad as people make it seem). He’s also been expanding his filmmaking empire with his production company, which recently announced that they’ll be working on a reboot of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”
READ MORE: ‘Don’t Breathe 2’ Promotes Rodo Sayagues To The Director’s Chair
Again, we don’t know the plot of “16 States,” but it is also interesting to note that Reque and Ficarra are listed as the screenwriters. In terms of horror films, those names might not ring any bells, and for good reason. Their best-known work is probably the NBC series, “This is Us,” as well as films such as “Focus,” “Bad Santa,” and “I Love You Phillip Morris.” They also are the screenwriters on the upcoming Disney adventure film, “Jungle Cruise.” Not the first names you think of when you imagine a film from the director of “Don’t Breathe.” But then again, maybe they’ll surprise us all?
There’s no release date set for the film, but you better believe we’ll be keeping an eye out for news about “16 States,” as Alvarez is one of the more exciting filmmakers working today.
