Well, this could mean trouble for Cell as it was announced this morning Clarius Entertainment has acquired domestic distribution rights to the film based on the Stephen King novel of the same name. So far Clarius has had an awful track record at the box office with the releases of And So It Goes, Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return and most recently the Nicole Kidman starrer Before I Go To Sleep, the three of which combine for a grand total of only $26.8 million at the domestic box office. The budget of the Oz feature alone was $70 million while the other two haven’t even been reported.
Perhaps, however, this will be a turn for the better as the film, directed by Tod “Kip” Williams (Paranormal Activity 2), stars John Cusack, Samuel L. Jackson, Isabelle Fuhrman (Orphan) and Stacy Keach centers on a powerful signal broadcast across mobile networks worldwide, resulting in the dangerous re-programming of cell phone users’ minds. Heading north through New England in search of his wife and son, Clay Riddell (Cusack) is joined by a group of survivors hoping to fend off the bloodthirsty and hyper-connected “phoners.”
Okay, that actually sounds quite bad and with a screenplay by King himself, re-written by Adam Alleca (Last House On The Left) and Mark Leyner (War Inc.), I’m not gaining any additional confidence after the reviews for King’s last screenplay, A Good Marriage.
Nevertheless, Clarius will be bringing it to theaters later this year and just above is your first look at the movie. Enjoy.