Raimi Signs YouTube Director of ‘Panic Attack’

Published by Jeff Leins on: November 30th, 2009

Sam Raimi’s Ghost House Pictures has signed a deal with Uruguayan filmmaker Fede Alvarez after a bidding war ended in a seven-figure deal for the director’s feature film debut.

The frenzy started after Hollywood got wind of Alvarez’s less than five minute short film on YouTube titled “Ataque de panico!” (Panic Attack!).  In the clip, towering robots emerge from the mist and advance on the capitol city of Montevideo before unleashing destruction.  Posted in early November, the “War of the Worlds meets Transformers” short has already gathered 620,000 views and counting.

The movie is drawing obvious comparisons to Neill Blomkamp’s District 9 due to the tiny budget of “Panic Attack” (a few hundred dollars), the invasion subject matter, their ages (both men are 30), and discovery by dazzling short film.  Blomkamp started working with Peter Jackson after his short film “Alive in Joburg” was noticed by Hollywood players.

Variety reports Alvarez pitched an original alien invasion idea to Raimi and Ghost House and he’ll earn at least six figures even if the company ultimately passes.  The next step is to hire a screenwriter to expand the idea into a full-length feature.