16 Aug 2011 01:56:54
The history of shark movies is littered with the corpses of failed attempts to recapture the majesty of Steven Spielberg's Jaws, but a new Hollywood combo may offer fresh hope of reviving the genre. Paul Schrader, the esteemed writer of Taxi Driver and director of such offbeat joys as American Gigolo, Cat People and The Walker is to collaborate with author Bret Easton Ellis on new psychological horror, Bait.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the story will focus on a worker at an expensive beach club who takes revenge on its wealthy and obnoxious members by steering their yacht into shark-infested waters. Schrader will direct and work with Ellis on the screenplay.
The latter has taken great pleasure in satirising the lifestyles of the vacuous rich in novels such as Less than Zero and The Rules of Attraction. His book American Psycho displayed his knack for detailing extreme violence, so scripting a horror film would appear to be the logical next step.
"Pairing Schrader and Ellis, two of the greatest literary minds of their generations, will elevate the genre," said producer Matthew Perniciaro of Picture Machine films. The project aims to shoot in November in Puerto Rico.
