While we still have a few more years to wait before writer-directorJames Gunn’sGuardians of the Galaxy 2sequel hits theater in 2017, the filmmaker announced that a new project he has written, entitledThe Belco Experiment, will start production this June.Greg Mclean(Wolf Creek) has come aboard to direct, withJames Gunnalso producing alongside MGM’sPeter Safran(Annabelle,The Conjuring). Pre-production is currently under way, with shooting scheduled to start this June in Bogota, Colombia. Here’s whatJames Gunnhad to say in a statement that he posted to hisFacebookpage earlier today.
I’m incredibly excited to announce that we’re commencing production on a new film,The Belco Experiment, from my own script. The story revolves around the American Belco company in South America which is mysteriously sealed off at the beginning of a work day, and its employees are ordered to kill each other or be killed themselves. This starts an escalation of violence, where we discover the true nature of each and every Belco employee. I cannot tell you how passionate and excited I am about this project! It’s a script I wrote a few years ago, for which I have always had a deep love. Believe it or not, it’s a film that first came to me in a dream, and I woke up and wrote the first draft in a two-week fugue state binge.
One of the first people to ever read the script, Jonathan Glickman, carried it around with him for years until becoming President of MGM, when he approachedPeter Safranand I about financing it. I was all for it, providing two things: 1) Although it has the heart and humor my films have all had, it is also the most intense and uncompromising script I’ve ever written. It would need to stay true to that. 2) I’d only do it if we found the right director - which, in some ways, I thought was unlikely.
Jon promised we’d make the film with full integrity - and, so far, MGM has - awesomely - been true to their word. And, after a long, concentrated search for a director we came toGreg Mclean.Gregshares my philosophy about honesty in film, and his naturalistic style lends itself to Belco. The past few weeks we’ve spent working together have been a joy - I don’t know if I’ve ever related to another filmmaker’s sense of aesthetics and love of film more.
Anyway, stay tuned here on my Facebook page and my other social networking sites, as well asGreg’s Twitter (@GregECP) to follow the process of making the film. We want you guys to be a part of this film as we make it. We’ll announce more casting and crew decisions soon - believe me, plenty of familiar faces will be popping up along the way!
What do you think aboutJames Gunn’s new projectThe Belco ExperimentAre you just as excited for this thriller as you are forGuardians of the Galaxy 2? Let us know what you think below, and stay tuned for more updates onThe Belco Experiment.
