Platinum Studios, an entertainment company that controls the world’s largest independent library of comic book characters, and The Shop Productions, an innovative feature-film production company specializing in computer-animation, have chosen Alan McElroy to write the screenplay for the $18 million budgeted first ever CG theatrical horror feature, Bonesaw, based on the Platinum Studios graphic novel by acclaimed Scots writer Rob Moran. Relativity Management, one of Hollywood’s leading talent management firms, will be co-financing the picture and is arranging the international elements. Production is set to begin in early 2006, and be completed Fall 2007. McElroy will be splitting his time between his Ohio home and the Vancouver production offices of Bonesaw.
This comes on the heels of Platinum and The Shop’s recent announcement that they were producing the first CGI thriller, Dylan Dog: The Fourth Kingdom, entering pre-production in June.
McElroy is no stranger to adapting comics to film, as he worked closely with comic book superstar Todd McFarlane, writing both the Spawn feature film and the Emmy-winning first season of the animated series. McElroy also was nominated for a Saturn award for his work on Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers. McElroy’s other recent credits include the recently-wrapped upcoming Fox release The Marine from the producers of Walking Tall and The Rundown.
“I couldn’t think of anyone better to write what will be the first commercially released animated horror movie,” says Rosenberg. “We believe that ‘Bonesaw’ will be the first horror movie that really takes advantage of the stunning possibilities of CGI.”
Founded by Chairman Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, Platinum Studios is known for comic-to-film adaptations and currently has motion pictures in development at all the major studios. Rosenberg is responsible for bringing the Men in Black comic book to Sony Pictures where it became a billion-dollar franchise.
Based on Rob Moran’s upcoming graphic novel, Bonesaw is about a horror-fantasy writer who discovers that her hit novels are about to release the villain Bonesaw and the other hellish creatures she’s been writing about into our world.
“‘Bonesaw’ will do for animation what ‘Sin City’ has done for live action: set a new paradigm for visual style. This represents another chance for us to redefine what CGI storytelling is all about and to show the world how far you can go,” said The Shop’s co-founder Ian Pearson.
“Producing a CG horror movie on a live action horror budget is brilliant,” says Relativity CEO Ryan Kavanaugh. “‘Bonesaw’ and Platinum’s upcoming CG thriller ‘Dylan Dog: The Fourth Kingdom,’ both based on comics, are already looking strong across the markets.”
Producing alongside Platinum’s Rosenberg will be Pearson and Aaron L. Gilbert, co-founders of The Shop. Platinum’s director of development, Aaron Severson, and director of production, Jay Burns, will co-produce.
Platinum Studios has a successful record of acquiring valuable comic properties and developing them for television and film. The company brought Belgium graphic novel series Jeremiah to TV screens with a 35-hour maxi-series starring Luke Perry and Sean Astin and is currently working on a feature film prequel. Other properties in development include Cowboys & Aliens at Sony, Unique at Disney, Mal Chance at Miramax, Dylan Dog and Storm at The Shop, Dead of Night from Sahara writers Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer, a 10 Picture $200 Million slate with Gold Circle and recent rights acquisition of Europe’s largest creator-owned comic book syndicate, Hexagon Comics.
Source: Platinum Studios
