Screen Gems sees ‘Ghost’ as first prod’n
JOHN CARPENTER'S GHOSTS OF MARS will be the first project to go into production at Sony’s niche label Screen Gems, sources said Thursday.
A sci-fi thriller set some 200 years in the future, GHOSTS OF MARS is the story of human colonists on Mars who must be rescued after becoming possessed by vengeful Martian ghosts. The screenplay was written by Carpenter and Larry Sulkis.
GHOSTS OF MARS comes on the heels of last year’s successful Sony release of JOHN CARPENTER'S VAMPIRES, a James Woods starrer that opened to $9.2 million, the biggest ever opening for a Halloween weekend.
Targeted for an early 2000 start, GHOSTS OF MARS will be produced by Carpenter with Sandy King’s Storm King Prods. King also produced Carpenter’s VAMPIRES, VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED, IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS and THEY LIVE.
Screen Gems’ next release will be James Toback’s BLACK AND WHITE in March 2000. The film, which screened at Telluride and Toronto film festivals, is a dark comedy that follows a group of privileged white teens in New York who have a reckless fascination with hip hop culture.
Launched less than a year ago and headed by Peter Schlessel, Clint Culpepper and Valerie Van Galder, Screen Gems is targeted to release about six small to mid-budget films each year.
