Before Nicole Kidman had become a megastar in the US—thanks to dramas like Days of Thunder and Far and Away--the Aussie actress was headlining movies in her homeland - like the 1989 thriller Dead Calm. Here, she played one half a married couple terrorized by a crazed killer while seeking solitude on their yacht. What could possibly make this premise more menacing? How about setting it in space, where no one can hear you scream?
THR reports that is just what buzzed about screenwriters Adam Mason and Simon Boyes have planned for their in-the-works science fiction-thriller Equinox. Though the film is not intended as a remake, it's being pitched as "Dead Calm in space," which was enough to hook Paramount. The studio has signed on to produce the low-budget pic through their genre branch, Insurge. Could it work? Check out the trailer for Dead Calm below:
Further plot details are being kept under wraps, but the killer plus the close quarters of space ships plus the isolation of interplanetary travel is enough to pique interest. Unfortunately, it's unknown who might star in what sounds like an intimate thriller. With a small budget, it's likely a rising talent or unknown will be cast, meaning this could prove a breakthrough moment for some lucky ingénue.
Without a director attached, there's no word yet on when Equinox will shoot. But in the meantime, Mason and Boyes will get a chance to shine with NSFW, which is serving as Joe Johnston's unexpected follow-up to Captain America: The First Avenger. Having recently wrapped, this low-budget thriller about a pencil pusher trapped inside his office with a killer lurking (I'm seeing a pattern here…) is expected to be released by Universal later this year.
