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UK TV Director Tom Green to Helm Sequel 'Monsters: Dark Continent'

by Ethan Anderton
June 18, 2012
Source: The Playlist

Two years ago, the buzz started for Gareth Edwards' phenomenal indie sci-fi film Monsters, a character based film following two Americans trying to travel across an area of Central America devastated and inhabited by gigantic, and strangely mesmerizing, alien creatures. It was truly a unique indie gem, had some great special effects for such a low budget film, and even helped Edwards land a gig directing a new take on Godzilla for Legendary Pictures. Well, we also heard a sequel was in development almost exactly a year later, but without Edwards attached to direct. But now we have an update on the gestating project. Read on!

Though Brent Bonacorso, of a short called West of the Moon, and Jesse Atlas were said to direct last May, Screen Daily (via The Playlist) recently talked with some up and coming talents from around the world (including Attack the Block star John Boyega and Douglas Booth who just landed a role in Noah), and learned of a new writer and director for the sequel now titled Monsters: The Dark Continent. Screenwriter Jay Basu (the scribe behind a new contemporary take on Merlin), was among the talents, and it was revealed that he's writing the sequel. In addition, he'll be joined by Tom Green.

No, it's not the Tom Green who puts his bum on things, but rather a rising director who has been behind episodes of the British superhero drama series "Misfits." Apparently he's come close to directing a couple feature films that have been below our radar, but his directing this sequel sounds like a done deal. Last time we talked about the project, it was said to spend more time in the "infected zone" world that the monsters inhabit. It will continue by introducing a teacher living in a protected walled city, who has to go into the infected zone to find his long-lost brother, a former military man. However, the film, backed by Vertigo Films, doesn't have a start date just yet, so this project could easily sit in development for another year. Of course, with this kind of talent coming on board and no rush to capitalize on the low profile, but stunning original film, this just might work out for everyone.

Filed under Development, Movie News

From around the web:

Jericho

i dunno, Monsters wasn't THAT great......
- http://twitter.com/incarnedine_v Dan Hibiki
  
  pretty damn bad actuality. Nothing happens and all the characters are mind numbingly annoying. It's like if you take Drive and remove all but the scenes of Ryan Gosling staring longingly at Carey Mulligan. Then remove Ryan gosling.
- Voice of Reason
  
  You're right, it wasn't THAT great...it was THAT bad...this was not pegged as a "character based" film until the majority of audiences were like "What the F--- is this shitty, unrealistic, contrived, cockamamie LOVE story doing taking over this quickly-turning-stale "monster" flick." And even as a character-based—or even an indie love story—it was LACKLUSTER at best. Often downright BORING. In fact, I think this was one of the worst movies I saw that year. Thank you for saying as such.
Ehsan Davodi

A documentary shape and realistic scifi with humanistic hints. Silent Terror , Strange Woods with dreadfull sounds of rumbling monsters. But big surprise of film not was Monsters showing in last sequence rather was A Simple Romantic Kiss between Samantha and Andrew where Samantha whispers "I don't want to go home." tearfully. Yes, Base of film is Atmosphere Sequel of this film is very harder than original. Plot must be had griping,surprising synopsis even better than first one. I think Garet Edwards must be returned but if he work on Godzilla remake this sequel maybe Wana more talented director. I don't know this director but I Wana say : This is low budget magnificent disaster scifi, don't fall in trap of blockbuster, leave the godzila and t-Rex pictures for their owners, this is something else, A Fresh Air
- son_et_lumiere
  
  ah, Ehsan, where have you been? Monsters intrigues me. i absolutely love it, but i appreciate that it does seem to split opinions (see above). personally, i found the characters engaging, bought into their story, totally got that the title was a misnomer and adored, as Ehsan says, the atmosphere and mood that Edwards spent all of his time creating and nurturing. it's a romantic drama in a sci-fi setting. i don't think it was ever intended to be a creature film (i always assumed the title was a metaphor). whether you buy into that is, of course, up to you as the viewer. but i disagree with Ehsan in that it's also the classic example of a stand-alone film that really doesn't need a sequel, irrespective of who directs it. leave it be and move on. and while we're at it, we don't need a sequel to Moon, either.
Nielsen700

Awesome! Loved the first one.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7YGEVuJ4mM Carpola

I liked Monsters just wasn't that happy with the ending, I saw no point in the intimate character based story if it was just to be ended so badly.