Dunes Go Rogue

The trades are reporting this morning that the final specifics of a long-gestating deal between Michael Bay’s remake machine production house Platinum Dunes and the Universal spin-off studio Rogue Pictures have finally been settled, and the deal is in place.

A three-year first look contract has been signed between the two, which will see Dunes producing their horror movies at budgets under $25 million and receiving back as much as 10% of the gross, an unheard of amount in today’s system but one you can negotiate when you continue making the kind of massive profits Dunes has with its horror remakes.

The first pic that will come out under Rogue is the recently completed remake of The Hitcher, then Variety is saying they will be moving on to a new Near Dark (both films originally penned by Eric Red ... coincidence?), which will be helmed by Samuel Bayer, a music video director whose credits include Nirvana’s overplayed hit "Smells Like Teen Spirit."

Plans are afoot for a new Changeling and The Birds, the latter of which it’s been stated before will actually be a new adaptation of the book that was the source for Hitchcock’s original. Not a peep about Friday the 13th despite producer Andrew Form’s recent comments that they’re hoping for a release next year, but perhaps that’s just an oversight? We’ll dig for more and show off our discoveries right here!

- Johnny Butane