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The last thing we heard about the $100 million dollar Ouija board inspired movie, is that it ended back up at Universal Pictures, and was cut down to a $5 million dollar budgeted film. Knowing and The Possession screenwriters Juliet Snowden and Stiles White were hired to write and direct the movie that McG was previously attached to develop.
Honestly the best move the studio made was to turn this into a low budget film project. I think it will end up being a much better film like this. Everyone is forced to be inventive and tell a strong story. STYD caught up with the directors recently and talked about the film saying....
It was originally a $100 million movie, now it's a $5 million movie with us," Snowden laughed when we congratulated them on the project. "Jason [Blum], Michael [Bay] and the Platinum Dunes guys, Universal and Hasbro - that's a lot to answer to.
They are then asked if the film would still contain the adventure angle to the story, which is the direction the film was previously headed.
For us, there was that version, but we've got Blum on board now, it's going to be a smaller budget, a more contained idea. We just love the idea, when Juliet was growing up, her older sister had a Ouija board, my grandparents had a Ouija board up on the shelf in the closet, so I remember one - I'm not sure if I ever played with one, I had a healthy sense of caution with it. I love the idea it's a game, but not really a game. It's sold as a game because where else can you put it in the store?
Contact spirits with something you find on the shelf at Walmart or Target? That's where we're coming from with the story, it's not just about one board, it's any board and that's what makes it scary.
The idea that the board spells out messages - as a psychological horror film, we just felt there was a lot to play with there. We pitched our ideas, we're currently writing the script right now, the process is moving quickly. Once you get into the writing of it, you're visualizing it from the get-go when you're signed on to direct.
This kind of movie should be more of a psychological horror film than an adventure film. So I'm happy with the direction that Snowden and White is taking it. The project is moving forward fast and according to them it might end up being released in October of 2013. There's no reason a movie about a Ouija board couldn't be a solid horror film, and I hope this turns out as good as it should be.
Are you more excited about about this version of the film rather than McG's version?
