Just yesterday I posted a story headlined “James Cameron Prepping His Next Epic at Fox with Salerno? ” based on a Production Weekly Twitter post that read, “James Cameron is developing a Shane Salerno-scripted sci-fi action script for Fox, described as an ‘event’ film set in the future.”
Naturally this sent most of the online world back in time and looking at a pitch Salerno was working on with Cameron called Doomsday Protocol described as an epic science fiction adventure in the vein of Akira Kurosawa’s The Seven Samurai involving a group of aliens and humans with various abilities who are brought together to save Earth. Well, that wasn’t the project that was being referenced.
MTV got the word from Cameron and producer Jon Landau on the red carpet at the London premiere of Avatar and learned the project in question is a planned remake of the 1966 sci-fi classic Fantastic Voyage in 3-D, with Cameron taking on the role of producer.
The original film won two Oscars and centered on scientist Jan Benes, who knows the secret to keeping soldiers shrunken for an indefinite period, escapes from behind the Iron Curtain with the help of CIA agent Grant. While being transferred, their motorcade is attacked. Benes strikes his head, causing a blood clot to form in his brain. Grant is ordered to accompany a group of scientists as they are miniaturized. The crew has one hour to get in Benes’s brain, remove the clot and get out.
However, if you’ll notice, MTV says Cameron will be producing with no mention of directing so it seems the jury is still out on what will be Cameron’s follow-up to Avatar.
