Panic Attack Director Federico Alvarez Lands a Film at Ghost House

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Panic Attack Director Federico Alvarez Lands a Film at Ghost House

November 29, 2009
Source: Film Junk
by Alex Billington
Panic Attack

The web can do wonders for your career. Film Junk is reporting (translated from El Pais) that Uruguayan filmmaker Federico Alvarez, who unleashed his hugely popular short film Panic Attack (watch it right here) a few weeks ago online, has landed a directing gig at Sam Raimi's Ghost House Pictures. Alvarez has signed on to direct a sci-fi film that they're hoping will be the next District 9. They're giving him a $30 to $40 million budget, however it does not sound like Alvarez is creating a feature-length version of Panic Attack. He will write the script and come up with an original story that will probably involve giant robots.

I never featured Alvarez's Panic Attack on the site because I honestly just wasn't that impressed. Everyone else on the web went ape shit for it, calling it the next big thing and just awesome. I thought the CGI was a little shabby and besides that it had no story or goal or anything besides mass destruction (and despite it started out focusing on some little kid). Those are my thoughts, though, and I bet with a $40 million budget, Alvarez will be able to do a lot more (and he'll write a good script first before starting). Again if you haven't seen it, check out the Panic Attack short right here, at least so you can know what all the buzz is about.

According to the original article, Alvarez spoke with Raimi on the phone and the two seemed to hit it off. Raimi will help "shield" him from the business side of things so he has the freedom to "make the movie he wants." If we hear anything else, we'll certainly let you know. Is this something to look forward to?

Update: This news has finally hit the trades and we have some new details on the project via Variety. They don't say much else that we didn't already cover above, but they do say that Alvarez pitched this as "an alien invasion film" to Ghost House and Sam Raimi. Additionally, Alvarez will not be writing his own screenplay. Ghost House will be hiring "a high-end scribe to turn the idea into a feature," putting more faith in their own writers to write a story that Hollywood will like than a newcomer from Uruguay. Also, for those who don't know, Alvarez has also been directing commercials, although this short was his first fictional feature.

Read more: http://www.firstshowing.net/2009/11/29/panic-attack-director-federico-alvarez-lands-a-film-at-ghost-house/#ixzz0YeZer4C5

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