Australian filmmaker Julius Avery (The Pope’s Exorcist) will be directing a new thriller for 20th Century Studios. Crush was first announced by the studio last fall, and Avery’s becoming attached is the first major development since then. Make of that what you will, but we like to think a studio taking its time with some projects is a good thing.
Currently, Crush’s plot is being kept under wraps. However, it’s rumored to center around a woman hiking in the Everglades. One morning, she awakes to find herself trapped by a python wrapping its way around her. She must fight to survive while each breath brings her closer to death. It’s reportedly inspired by true events and told in real time.
If true, that certainly is an interesting concept. Survival-themed IPs have been fertile territory at least in the world of video games for a while now. Pair that with the current box office trend of gritty, semi-realistic horror, and Crush in its rumored form seems to fit right in.
Temple Hill executive John Fischer wrote the script on spec in his free time, eventually posting it on the Black List under an alias. This gained enough traction that he went to his bosses at Temple Hill with the project, which they happily backed. Scott Glassgold produces via his 12:01 Films banner along with Temple Hill.
We’ll keep you posted on updates about Crush as the project develops.
