{"id":1431,"date":"2008-11-07T11:23:06","date_gmt":"2008-11-07T01:23:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/roberthood.net\/blog\/?p=1431"},"modified":"2008-11-07T17:23:43","modified_gmt":"2008-11-07T07:23:43","slug":"a-daikaiju-in-ancient-rome","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/roberthood.net\/blog\/index.php\/2008\/11\/07\/a-daikaiju-in-ancient-rome\/","title":{"rendered":"A Daikaiju in Ancient Rome"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Mortis<\/a><\/p>\n

300<\/em> meets Cloverfield<\/em>? That seems to be the concept behind Peter Briggs’ attempt to create a new “tent-pole” franchise, Mortis Rex<\/em> (though anyone who has been reading the Backbrain regularly might catch a whiff of Outlander<\/em> as well).<\/p>\n

Here is the official logline:<\/p>\n

Mortis Rex<\/em> is an Ancient Rome monster movie. In 123 AD, a disgraced Roman war hero is sent to defend a Roman garrison stationed in remote Scotland from a spate of mysterious killings.\u00a0 The hero reclaims his rightful warrior status by uniting with the local Druids and vanquishing a terrifying supernatural beast.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

According to the website, it’s a “terrifying, fantastical action movie in the vein of Brotherhood of the Wolf<\/em>” … though presumably the monster, as depicted in the storyboard art above, is very large indeed and not some artificial construct.<\/p>\n

Briggs, who co-wrote the first Hellboy<\/em> movie and has been involved in the writing of a few other high-profile genre franchises, commented:<\/p>\n

\u201cAs 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\u2019ve 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\u2019m excited about the potential of the film.\u201d (BloodyDisgusting.com<\/a>)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Synopsis<\/strong>:<\/p>\n

AD:122 when our chilling tale begins….<\/p>\n

In an isolated region of the Roman Empire, a Disgraced Roman war hero, Cassiius, has been sent to defend a Roman garrison, following a terrifying spate of mysterious and brutal killings. Or hero reclaims his rightful warrior status by uniting with his fellow Roman Legionaries and a beautiful Druid warrior maiden from the local village. Their mission … to vanquish a terrifying supernatural beast that has been spewed from the mouth of Hell…<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

“Mortis Rex” is Latin for “King of Death”.<\/p>\n

The film is budgeted at $25 million and will begin filming in the second quarter of next year.<\/p>\n