Rapper Kanye West has helped an unknown Uruguayan advert director seal a seven-figure Hollywood deal to direct a sci-fi invasion movie, inspired by his own short film Panic Attack.
Fede Alvarez scored his million-dollar deal based on the excitement generated by Ataque de panico! (Panic Attack), a four-minute, 48-second short about an apocalyptic robot attack Alvarez directed through his commercial production house. The short cost less than $500, and became an internet hit when Kanye West posted it on his blog. Suddenly Alvarez had Hollywood bigwigs knocking on his virtual door, and Ghost House Pictures secured a deal with him - he’ll directing an alien invasion movie based on his own pitch (though it's unclear whether it will also be called Panic Attack, we hope so - it’s a great title). Sam (Spider-Man) Raimi will be overseeing the production.
Seems like Ghost House are hoping they may have a District 9 on their hands, which saw Peter Jackson nurturing the South African fledgling director Neill Blomkamp as he turned his short (Alive In Joburg) into an big screen smash.
