Following a bidding war, Sony has won the rights to Michael Crichton’s volcano disaster novel, Eruption, with Keanu Reeves rumoured to be starring.
Here’s a story that has a few intriguing elements to it. Sony has paid what is believed to be a seven figure sum to acquire the rights to Eruption, a volcano disaster movie set in Hawaii. Bidding for the project is said to have been pretty fierce, not least because the project hails (in part) from the pen of the late Michael Crichton, whose work has proven to be a goldmine over the years for film adaptations.
Jurassic Park, Twister and Disclosure are just a few of the high-profile successes that have stemmed from the author’s work. Eruption, which Crichton spent two decades years writing before his death in 2008, ‘follows a history-making volcano explosion that is about to wipe away the big island of Hawaii. However, a secret held for decades by the US military is far more terrifying than any volcano.’
The manuscript was completed by James Patterson and was a bestseller when it released this year. Anticipation surrounding the project is high, given that Crichton’s work has led to such memorable films in the past. Also, the directors in place for the project are an interesting choice too. Oscar-winning Free Solo directors Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi are in place to direct and should they bring just a shade of the mountain-based filmmaking brilliance that enabled them to craft one of the most incredible documentaries of the last decade, the scenes set atop the volcano could be something else.
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The duo made their narrative drama debut with last year’s Nyad, which earned plaudits for its leads, Jodie Foster and Annette Bening. Again, the swimming sequences in that film were beautifully shot, so we’re intrigued to see how the filmmakers handle the action scenes in Eruption.
Finally, Deadline is also reporting that none other than Keanu Reeves has had a couple of conversations about starring, although there has been no commitment from the actor as of yet. In the wake of the John Wick films, Reeves seems to be trying lots of different things as he often has throughout his career, so why not add a giant disaster movie to the slate?
It all sounds rather fun, doesn’t it? When we hear more about Eruption, we’ll let you know. In the meantime, check out our review of Twisters, another US disaster movie based on Crichton’s work that releases this week.