Yet more news coming out of the American Film Market: HELLBOY co-writer Peter Briggs will make his directorial debut on MORTIS REX, a period thriller taking place in 122 AD, budgeted at $25 million. Briggs is well-known for writing popular – but unused – drafts of ALIEN VS. PREDATOR and FREDDY VS. JASON…
The story follows a disgraced Roman war hero who comes face to face with a supernatural beast causing horrendous deaths. And in case you’re wondering, Mortis Rex is Latin for “king of death.”
Here’s what Briggs had to say about the project: “As a former cinematographer, and as a screenwriter writing on some of the most memorable Hollywood tent-pole horror and sci-fi franchises of recent years, I’ve used that to shape Mortis Rex into a highly accessible piece of entertainment: by turns both an action-packed thrill-ride and equally a scary, heart stopping nail-biter. Working with Intandem and their expertise in film finance and sales I’m excited about the potential of the film.”
MORTIS REX will begin shooting during the second quarter of next year.