J J Abrams & David Seltzer bring an "Earthquake"

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August 12, 2008


Obviously inspired by the recent earthquake here in Los Angeles, J.J. Abrams (Cloverfield, Lost, The Fringe) will join David Seltzer, the screenwriter of the original OMEN, to shake up audiences with a disaster flick for Universal involving an earthquake.

Plotlines are being kept under lock and key.

The project is untitled and not intended to be a remake of Universal's 1974 movie "Earthquake." That film, released in the middle of that decade's disaster-flick frenzy that famously used "Sensurround" -- really just cranked-up bass -- to enhance the experience and became part of its popular studio tour.

Details of the story are being kept in a seemingly tremor-proof vault, though as is Abrams' modus operandi, relationships will be at the core of the project. Abrams arguably rewrote the rules for disaster flicks with "Cloverfield," which thrust the big story to the background by making the audience see the bedlam through the prism of a personal relationship.

Abrams is producing with Bryan Burk and Sherryl Clark via the trio's Bad Robot banner.

Abrams, repped by WMA, is finishing up directing "Star Trek" for its May 2009 release. At the moment, he only plans to produce the "Earthquake" revamp.

Seltzer, repped by ICM, has a "Strangers on a Train" remake in development at Warner Bros. on which he worked with Bad Robot's Sherryl Clark when she was at Kopelson Entertainment. Seltzer also wrote "Dragonfly," which starred Kevin Costner and Kathy Bates.