Davis Talks Production Deal

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Mitch DavisJust the other day we told you about a production deal being signed by Mitch Davis (pictured), programmer for the Fantasia Film Festival (read it here). The deal allows Davis to work with Blumhouse Productions, who are based at Paramount, to get some talented and fresh filmmakers the chance they deserve to make good films.

Though we’ve been trying to track him down ourselves, Fangoria managed to get to him first to discuss what we might expect from the deal as things move forward. Obviously it’s all brand-new now so nothing has been signed yet, but Davis did say that some remakes might be first on the block; “The remake aspect isn’t the big attraction of my deal for any of us. None of us are fans of the trend, but those are 1,000 percent more likely to get greenlit in the studio system these days, and there are angles that can be played where an essentially original film gets made under the guise of being a remake.” he explains, “We’d be looking more for a film with an incredible core premise that can be expanded into an altogether different direction, in order to make something unique that can’t be compared against its source. Beyond that, we would likely go out under a different title, so as not to hijack the initial film’s identity, which I’ve always felt was important to consider in the midst of the current remake craze.”

Hey, if something out there has to be remade I would rather these guys be behind it than another Michael Bay, that’s for damn sure. At least Davis can appreciate what remaking a film is all about, not just looking to cash in on the trend.

Ultimately, though, remakes are just a stepping stone to their ultimate goal; “What we’re all hoping for is to get original projects into production from incredible filmmakers who are currently either neglected or underrecognized, and that includes short filmmakers who too regularly find their voices lost in the shuffle, and are ready to make their first feature.” he continued, “I always wished there was a way for me to help [a] project beyond the point of simple feedback. Many brilliant scripts are written way beyond what their eventual budgets or casting options can deliver, and it’s always sad to see a compromised version of what could have been.”

Think you have a brilliant script? This is just the team you should be tracking down! Keep it here for more details as we get our own time with Mitch, and of course expect to hear some juicy Fantasia programming news any day now!

Johnny Butane

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