WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE (TBA) - PREVIEW

When Worlds Collide (TBA)

Starring: TBA
Director: Stephen Sommers

U.S. Opening Date: TBA

THEY SAY

What would happen if a rogue star flew into our solar system and slammed into the Earth?

Alpha Centauri is on a collision course for Earth, and mass hysteria of biblical proportions breaks out in the streets. But when a billionaire astronomer discovers a planet capable of sustaining life orbiting Alpha Centauri, he plans to build a rocket to transport a small group of people to the planet in order to populate it and insure survival of the human race.

WE SAY

First announced as long ago as 2005 when Spielberg remade War of the Worlds, this remake of this 1951 sci-fi “classic” (it isn’t really that good) still seems to be alive. According to recent press reports it is one of the projects that Steven Spielberg will continue “developing” for Paramount (along with the Transformers sequel) despite DreamWorks’ recent split with the studio.

“Developing” however doesn’t mean “directing” and it seems that the director’s chair will unfortunately not be filled by the great bearded one. Instead Stephen Sommers (of Mummy and Van Helsing infamy) will be directing – so expect a loud soundtrack with loads of CGI effects in which major global landmarks will probably get destroyed.

The original When Worlds Collide was somewhat staid – a polite disaster film for a more polite era (despite the Earth about to die screaming there are hardly any social unrest!), so expect this remake to make up for all that quiet . . .

UPDATE

In the July 2009 issue of Fantastique magazine, director Sommers had the following to say in an interview: "Steven Spielberg and I have a great script for When Worlds Collide. We just have to wait now because of Roland Emmerich’s 2012. It’s too close a project."