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Columbia Locks Down Supernatural Prison Script 'Supermax'

by Ethan Anderton
September 29, 2009

After the unfortunate onslaught of news recently regarding ridiculous remakes and pointless adaptations, it's nice to hear a fantastic original idea get picked up by a major studio. THR says Columbia Pictures has bought Supermax, a spec script from writer Mitch Rouse (co-creator of "Strangers with Candy") and Christopher Nelson. The story follows a hard-working prison guard who is re-assigned to Supermax, a maximum security prison for the supernatural. When a huge riot creates mass chaos in Supermax, the prison guard must team up with one of the monstrous inmates in order to make it out alive in one piece.

While the writing talent behind this spec script doesn't exactly get me super excited, more recently some of the best and most original content - like District 9 and 500 Days of Summer from this year - has come from mostly unestablished up-and-coming writers. Sooner or later audiences are going to get sick of all the remakes, sequels, etc, and fresh ideas like this are going to become the reigning champions of cinema. The concept really puts my imagination into overdrive, and that's really what great motion pictures should do. Also note that this Supermax has nothing to do with the Supermax project with DC Comics' Green Arrow.

Filed under Movie News, Opinions

From around the web:

whomever

Interested.
Joseph S.

Yea at least its something new and original.. I am interested too..
Ben

Sounds like District 9: Prison Break In other words... should be good.
anon

I bet the inmate they team up with is Vin Diesel...
champcheyne

@#2 The thing about this is that it's not new or original. It is the EXACT same premise of DC's Supermax except without Green Arrow.
tazz

the audiences are already sick of all this remakes Ethan. @#5 this is the same premise as Green Arrow: Supermax but i hated that idea i think for a Green Arrow to work is to make an origin story
beavis

#5,6........did you read what AB said?....quote: "Also note that this Supermax has nothing to do with the Supermax project with DC Comics' Green Arrow". i don't like remakes and rehashes either, but i'll give this a chance..........i hope you're right alex.
NadaNuff

@5 I had the same thought. It wasn't until I read the last sentence of the article that I said "Oh" Supernatural inmates, superpowered villains--just how different can you make them. Anyway, the title of one of these two movies will change, and I'm betting it's the DC movie, since they have such a hard time getting their projects off the ground.
Dan W

This sounds extremely stupid. Prison for the supernatural? Since when have ghosts been able to be put behind bars? Nothing about the description sounds new or inventive.
http://www.tor.com Luis M

#8 Maybe they have a huge Containment unit in the basement. Who you gonna call???
harrison

so what is like batmans arkham asylum type of joint, could be good but not exactly an original idea, though maybe not made into a movie yet its been before but yea hollywood needs a cleaning, every movie is sold on big name actors who have oversaturated the market and writers who no longer have anything original to offer with execs who keep pushing the same ideas on the sole basis that they have made money in the past
youngblaze

#8 i hope you know Supernatural are not only just Ghost.
CL

isn't the first rule of plagiarism is don't copy the title of the script you're copying from? doesn't seem too original to me.
SlashBeast

We need more unconventional superhero movie ideas like the Supermax idea, otherwise, superhero films are going to get stale FAST! I think they should do a Green Arrow origin movie and have the Supermax idea as a sequel.
Papichulo

I thought Supermax was the Green Arrow movie?
S

So, Van Helsing set in a prison?
Silver

ha ha they're remaking movies that haven't even been green-lighted yet
cornholio_by_the_sea

they should get an Oscar nomination just for having an original idea...sound really good..hope it flys...
dave13

#17 lmao.