Paul W.S. Anderson has signed on to direct an apocalyptic disaster movie entitled Pompeii .
That's 'disaster' as in the genre, not the end result. The Resident Evil guru presumably got the gig as a second choice to Roland Emmerich, the latter having stepped away from big budget end-of-worlders for the time being.
Anderson is currently finishing off another period drama in the form of The Three Musketeers , which is being unleashed on cinema-goers this October. He hopes to shoot Pompeii in spring 2012.
Set in 79 AD, Pompeii ’s main focus is on the slave of a tycoon who dreams of buying his freedom and marrying his master’s daughter.
Amid that ground level drama, Mount Vesuvius erupts and tips Pompeii into chaos. Trapped on a ship headed for Naples, the slave determines to return home and rescue his love and gladiator best friend.
So it’s basically 2012 with togas. Considering Anderson’s experience handling big budgets, we’re sure he’ll bring the goods when it comes to visuals.
But the director’s never displayed much aptitude for genuine human drama, which means Pompeii could turn into a decidedly over-cooked disaster flick.
