The drama surrounding Doug Liman’s upcoming film “Chaos Walking” might actually be more interesting than the finished product. The film, which stars Tom Holland and Daisy Ridley (could you get a better duo of young actors to lead a new YA franchise?), has been the source of a ton of behind-the-scenes reports, including the most recent news that the reshoots, which are currently underway, are the result of the studio being very displeased with the first cut.
Now, according to THR, it appears that Lionsgate has called in some reinforcements to help Liman conduct these reshoots, in the form of “Don’t’ Breathe” filmmaker Fede Álvarez.
The report says that the studio has brought on Álvarez as a “consultant” for the film. The filmmaker will assist Liman over the course of the reshoots, helping rewrite scenes, putting together new material, and overall, using his skills to act as support for Liman during the three-week additional photography.
We’ve said it several times already, but Liman is a director that is known for his post-production woes. Not that they’ve turned out bad, actually. For the most part, the opposite is true, as the director has used the post-production process and additional photography to reshape stories for the better, as he famously did in “Edge of Tomorrow.” But there’s something about “Chaos Walking” that has us wondering just how Liman will save the film.
For those not familiar, “Chaos Walking” is based on a very popular YA novel about a post-apocalyptic society where everyone can hear each other’s thoughts through a power called The Noise. It’s supposedly a story that is explained well over the novel series, but has been said to be difficult to work out in the film. And considering Lionsgate is banking big on this film potentially launching a new franchise, with two massively popular stars, the studio wants to make sure it’s done correctly.
Thus, the inclusion of Álvarez.
Lionsgate is spending a reported $15 million extra just on the reshoots, and Álvarez is obviously being looked at as someone who can hopefully steer this ship away from the impending iceberg, so to speak. In addition to “Don’t Breathe,” Álvarez has shown himself to be a capable director in the recent “Evil Dead” remake and last year’s “The Girl in the Spider’s Web.” Though the latter was far from a box office success, the filmmaker’s talents were readily on display.
Originally set for release in March of this year, there has been no official date mentioned for when audiences will see “Chaos Walking.” At this point, 2020 is a safe bet.