A couple of weeks ago, news emerged that Timur Bekmambetov was producing a ‘found footage’ sci-fi movie called Apollo 18, which Trevor Cawood was directing and which would arrive in cinemas next March. The announcement made ripples in Hollywood, causing Roland Emmerich to abandon his space-set ‘found footage’ flick, while Warner got cold feet about the similarly themed Dark Moon (although Dark Castle stepped in to save that one).
At the time of the Apollo 18 announcement, it was suggested most of the footage was already in the can – after all, if it’s coming out in March, it had to have already been film, right? Well not according to THR, which says that while the release date is still in place – the producers are desperate to get in cinemas before Paranormal Acitivty director Oren Peli launches his sci-fi ‘found footage’ flick, Area 51 – things are still at an early enough stage that Trevor Cawood has dropped out and been replaced in the director’s chair by Gonzalo Lopez-Gallego, who’ll make his English-language debut with the flick.
The suggestion is the ridiculous schedule may have cause Cawood to leave, as it means the movie must be cast, filmed, edited, and all effect work completed in about three months – a plan most in Hollywood would see as almost impossible.
The film’s ruse will be that it’s supposedly footage of a secret NASA moon mission the public was never told about, which found evidence of alien life. Can they really go from nothing to finished film in just over three months? We’ll have to wait and see!