It seemed like director Kevin Smith was going to follow the generally rejected COP OUT with the hockey tale HIT SOMEBODY — he even went so far as to mention that Seann William Scott will be his star.
Things have changed, as Smith’s recent tweets indicate he’s next doing his pet project, a political-themed horror movie called RED STATE. Smith had put it aside for a while as he searched for funds after his longtime cohorts the Weinsteins initially passed on the project, but that cash has apparently been found:
-I talk about lots of stuff I wanna do that either happens years later or never happens at all. Happy to report RED STATE is not the latter.
-First draft was dated 9/5/07. Looks like we start shooting this July. Took nearly three years, but we’re finally gonna roll on RED.
-“Studio deal for RED STATE or going the full indie route?” (*Marches across big lawn, up front porch*) I’m home, Momma.
That last comment would either imply that the financially precarious Weinsteins had a change of heart and dug up a few million for one of their original kids, or that Smith sold his house and moved back in with his mom to afford the movie.
RED STATE is inspired by the truly terrifying pastor Fred Phelps, and Smith previously had this to say about it: “The notion of using a Phelps-like character as a villain, as horrifying and scary as that guy can be, there’s even something more insidious than him that lurks out there in as much as a public or a government that allows it and that’s the other thing that I’m trying to examine in a big, big way. It’s weird because for a few months I’ve been saying ‘horror movie’ and technically it is, but it’s also not a very traditional horror movie in the sense that people have been asking me, ‘Is it a slasher movie? Is it like the Japanese horror flicks?’ It’d be much easier to just show it to them when I’m done and be like, ‘This is what I meant.’ At which point I’m sure there’ll be people saying, ‘This ain’t a horror movie!’ But to me, it is.”
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