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J.J. Abrams Developing an Earthquake Movie Next!

by Alex Billington
August 12, 2008

It might not be Cloverfield 2, but it definitely will be another thrilling film. J.J. Abrams is officially producing a currently untitled disaster film involving an earthquake. David Seltzer, who wrote the original 1976 Omen, is working with Abrams to write the script and develop the project. As is obviously the case, no further details have been revealed, besides that "relationships will be at the core" like in Cloverfield. It may be hard to get interested in something with so few details, but considering I'm a big Abrams fan and considering this sounds like another project that will knock us on our feet (literally) like Cloverfield, I'm definitely intrigued to hear about it. I just hope that the surprise wasn't ruined already...

To get this rumor out of the way, Hollywood Reporter confirms that this film has absolutely nothing to do with the 1974 movie Earthquake with Charlton Heston (that inspired a badass amusement park ride at Universal Studios). They also mention that "at the moment, he only plans to produce the Earthquake revamp," which is I guess a publicity attempt to suppress any more discussion about Cloverfield 2. The film is being developed at Abrams' production company Bad Robot and will most likely appear sometime in 2009, considering it sounds like they're trying to get moving on this project by the end of the year.

While I know that most people may not immediately be interested in this, I'll admit that I've already been sucked in. There's no denying that Abrams has a great amount of intimacy that he brings, even on films he produces, and I'm already expecting this to have that similar Cloverfield feeling, but with an earthquake instead of a monster. As Adam Quigley put it best on the /FilmCast earlier tonight when discussing the news, "maybe we'll finally get to see a great version of a Roland Emmerich disaster movie." I definitely hope that's the case and with Abrams, and even Seltzer, involved, I'm sure that's probably how it will turn out. What are your thoughts about Abrams focusing on disasters instead of monsters?

Let's just hope the Cloverfield monster (or its mom) doesn't all of a sudden pop out from underground...

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CSpuppydog

Well I think it could be pretty kewl... knowing Abrams there will be some big mystery behind it.. I am going to go ahead and say that the earthquake is being cause by Voltron.. or a huge lion. But yeah I hope there will be some viral... he always seems to do it well. Calle em excited!
Keith

It feels too similar to Cloverfield for me to be uber-excited for it. I expect it to be good and I will follow its development, but I don't think it will knock me off my feet like Cloverfield did.
Josh Rowe

One of the things I hate about disaster films is the generic characters, and judging from Cloverfield I can expect more of the same, meaning at least 20 minutes of this film will be boring while setting them up.
Vin

wow..this sounds horrible, i for one thought cloverfield wasn't that great, and an earthquake movie? comeon..comeon stick with lost j.j.
Conrad

J.J. Abrams is a boring filmmaker. Nothing of his work has any TRUE substance to it. All of his work are just bloated B-movie's with some polish so it'll shine a bit. "Lost" is nothing to go crazy for these days either. Since mid-season two, that show hasn't really gone anywhere, they seem to be going in circles, which is a rip off. Although the series hasn't ended yet, so I won't declare it either way...but they better have a good explanation and I'm talking original not cheesy. By the way, I agree with you Alex, I think this "Earthquake" remake is simply a publicity stint to divert attention from a "Cloverfield 2". It really sounds like they didn't expect the first one to be big as it was financially (and seemingly there's a cult following too...) and now they don't know how to continue a story like that! As you can probably tell, I hated the first "Cloverfield" myself. The little creatures that dropped from the monster looked just like the bugs in "Starship Troopers!" - tell me you noticed that too, Alex.
thejugfather

disaster movies were the rage in the 70's and i think they are ripe for a comeback. lousy horror and remakes of every movie made are the norm today and so why not go back and make or remake the natural disaster films that were so popular before star wars came out and changed movies FOREVER!! how about towering inferno too or tidal wave....maybe a combination of all three!
HOLY SHT

L-A-M-E!!!! And someone please tell Tom Cruise to come out of the closet, you're not foolin' anybody, just like Jason Stringer!!
me2

I am a huge fan of J.J. Abrams--but PLEASE don't shoot it like Cloverfield!
Darrin

this sounds alright.
XXX

Cloverfield 2 /now earthquake later
XXX

shoot the movie like cloverfield and have it tie in with cloverfield
http://movieguyreviews4u.blogspot.com Ryan

Funny, I was just thinking that they should do a disaster movie (and not the type that is coming out this month).
CSpuppydog

...... or a stick figure or a ginat iguana with a monocle. I dunno Like I said earlier there has to be a big mysterey behind it like.. something coming out of the ground. Or at least I hoping its a cover up Cloverfiled 2.... .... or Deep Rising 2
cheater

what if the earthquake is called by the monsters mom and that will set up cloverfield 2
cheater

caused i mean
moldybread

"relationships will be at the core like in Cloverfield." somebody, please shoot me. WTF? Cloverfield was a steaming pile. I hoped that they would ALL die by the end. So, I guess with a more natural type of disaster, we will have more compassion for the fruitloop characters that Saint JJ heaps on us this time. I really doubt it. Hey JJ, why dont you put that money to GOOD use like helping to settle the national debt or something???
Dustyman1505

An earthquake? People deal with those all the time. I would be that interested in watching people get ready for it, then brace, then try to clean up afterwards, I mean $8 - two hours? California had better finally drop of into the ocean to make a entire movie around it.
wtro80

I for one love the idea of a 'revamp' I know most didn't like the Poseidon remake, but I did. The early scenes were pure cheese, but the rest of the movie was pretty spectacular from a special effects standpoint. I don't think, however, anyone could improve upon The Towering Inferno. It's still impressive to watch--- after all of these years
Sally Reardon

The Hollywood Reporter didn't do their homework properly! You have to ask JJ Abrams... himself! JJ Abrams isn't doing this!!
fanged rouge projectionist

Hollywood really needs to think of brighter ideas I mean is the best that they can come up with now, digging up old films for the sake of sub bass owners sadness of getting a few posts here and there for the sakes of rambling about a new film with 3000 CGI effects shots and possibly Skywalker Sound rumbling the audience with a new patented name called (((megaTHXsystem))) oh, please J.J. Abrams hurry up with Star Trek and then get the f%^&*k out of Hollywood because your last film Cloverfeild was just rubbish, you better not screw up Star Trek because the fans will eat you alive! On positive note I’d sooner see Earthquake re-shown now and then in specially equipped cinemas rather than some Cloverfield junk on the big screen, this director sucks!
Nik

The movie Earthquake starring Charlton Heston is actually a movie with a lot of substance. The movie addresses tons social themes during the 70's. The original writer had a much bigger, and much more epic movie, but because of production costs and concerns of the movie being too long, huge portions of the film were cut. The movie had the potential to be much better then what it ended up being. I think a modern revamp of this movie would do very good. But having J.J. Abrams do it. I vote No.
Harry The Spammer

I didn't know JJ Abrams was involved in 2012!!!! We must obtain the DNA of Irwin Allen and resurrect him. Thus, REAL remakes of Towering Inferno, Lost in Space, Earthquake, Posiedon Adventure and Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea can be realised.