David R. Ellis Chums 3D Shark Tank

EXCLUSIVE: In a movie that promises a visual feast with swimmers on the menu, David R. Ellis has committed to direct Shark Night 3D, a film that will shoot this summer in Louisiana. Incentive Filmed Entertainment is financing a $28 million film its makers hope will be Jaws for the 3D generation (but hopefully not 1983’s Jaws 3D). The script was written by Jesse Studenberg and Will Hayes, and the film will be produced by Mike Fleiss, Chris Briggs and Lynette Howell. Fleiss and Briggs teamed on Hostel and Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Sierra Pictures’ Nick Meyer will handle foreign territories. WME Global, which packaged the film, will sell North American distribution. The film is expected to get action at next month’s Cannes Film Festival. Ellis has the perfect resume for what is designed to be a scary 3D ride. Aside from directing Snakes on a Plane, Ellis last directed The Final Destination, a film he shot with 3D cameras, same as he will do for Shark Night 3D. Ellis is experienced in water shoots: he was second unit director on such films as The Perfect Storm and Deep Blue Sea. The animatronic sharks will be created by Walt Conti, who was responsible for the sharks in Deep Blue Sea, the supersized snake in Anaconda and the whales in the Free Willy films.