Just came across this article on "War of the Worlds" movie being made by
Pendragon pictures (copied below).  What is interesting is that recent
events have made Pendragon decide to move their movie from a modern setting
back to Wells' original time and place.

Barry.


http://www.spacedaily.com/news/mars-waroftheworlds-01b.html
<http://www.spacedaily.com/news/mars-waroftheworlds-01b.html>

War Of The Worlds Production Remains Suspended

Seattle - Oct 7, 2001

Pendragon Pictures' principals are concerned over a rumor that production of
War of the Worlds is about to resume on October 8th. Director Timothy Hines
expresses dismay at the rumor, "It is absolutely not true that War of the
Worlds is about to resume.

"The reality is that we are massively reworking the script in the wake of
the World Trade Center disaster and we will not be able to go before the
cameras for a little over a year." The Pendragon principals lost a close
friend and investor in War of the Worlds in the World Trade Center attack.

Timothy Hines goes on, "It has been a very difficult time for everyone. The
whole world was touched by the WTC experience. For us personally those
planes slammed directly into our lives. We lost a very close friend and have
been in mourning. We also watched portions of our fictional screenplay being
played out on September 11th. I knew immediately we couldn't do War of the
Worlds as conceived. It was a strange time. I found myself weeping on the
phone with Michele Jeffers at Foundation Imaging. They were great in that
they wrote off some of the effects work we had built for War of the Worlds.
The fans of War of the Worlds will be very pleased with the direction we are
taking, but I won't just slap it out there. War of the Worlds deserves care
and time and there is no other way I could do it."

Pendragon Producer Susan Goforth adds, "The script has to be rewritten from
the ground up. This new version will be a true and accurate adaptation of
the Wells classic story placed in its original 1898 setting. It's been
emotionally difficult for us to see sets and thousands of preparations
scrapped. But Timothy has made the right choice."

In the interim Pendragon Pictures is going into production with another
science fiction fantasy feature film entitled Chrome.

Director Timothy Hines explains, "We had planned to announce our new
production of Chrome in a few days, but this rumor has forced our hand.
Chrome is a very elaborate large scale science fiction that we have been
planning to roll in on the heels of War of the Worlds. On assessing the best
course, we realized that much of the work we had done for WOTW was fertile
ground to lay in the production Chrome."

"We already had a design team working on Chrome and we had a full production
crew and many creative artists assembled, so we have just sort of taken a
little pause and moved forward with the new production," comments producer
Susan Goforth.

Chrome is a live action science fiction fantasy motion picture set in the
future about a race of slave robots oppressed by a Nazi-like totalitarian
society and the hero robot that appears to lead the mechanical slaves to
freedom.

Timothy Hines lights up when talking about Chrome. "Chrome is a fantasy
film, far removed from the events of today. Everyone who has read the script
has told me how breathtaking the story is and how when I make this film it
will be like nothing anyone has ever seen. I admit that Chrome contains much
action. But Chrome isn't about the flying body jet chases, the mountains of
stunts and the animatronic robots. Chrome is about prejudice and freedom.
The story is what matters to me. It is what drives me. The characters and
how they feel and how they think and what forces them into action is what is
important to me."

As most of the financing from War of the Worlds has been able to roll over
on a two picture deal, Chrome will be a breathtaking spectacle, containing
hundreds of animatronic robotic characters and imagery that is totally
unique.

"Most everyone has seen Blade Runner and Alien. I didn't want Chrome to be a
retread of the same designs and flavors we always see on the big screen.
Chrome'S design team is unique. Designer Bryan Randall for instance, is in
his own world. When I offered the chance for him to lend his pen to the
design of Chrome, he jumped at it. He said the script of Chrome is totally
aligned with his visions and I knew what he meant. He's kind of crazy in the
way I am in that it's about the project, not the deals."

Hines won't say much more about the Chrome storyline at this time. Tight
security will keep the story under wraps. He will only say, "Science fiction
and fantasy fans will get what they have been waiting for with the movie
Chrome. An intelligent science fiction that also contains large portions of
action."

Chrome is scheduled to go before the cameras December 3rd, 2001. Chrome will
be released Summer, 2003 and will star Katie Tomlinson, who had orginally
been signed to lead the cast of War of the Worlds.