Plans for Catacombs Movie Announced

Posted on March 13, 2005

Twisted Pictures and Lions Gate Films announced that Catacombs will be the first picture in their new nine-picture financing and distribution deal together. Starring Shannyn Sossamon and Alecia Moore aka Pink, the film is co-written and co-directed by David Elliot and Tomm Coker and will begin principal photography in Bucharest, Romania on March 7th. Twisted Pictures' Mark Burg, Oren Koules, and Gregg Hoffman are producing. Peter Block, President of Acquisitions, Television and Co-Productions and Jason Constantine, Senior Vice President of Acquisitions, will oversee the production for Lions Gate Films, which is handling worldwide distribution on the film. Twisted Pictures' first film under the new label, SAW, also distributed by Lions Gate, was one of the most profitable films of 2004. Produced for $1.2 million, the film has grossed over $50 million domestically and nearly $100 million worldwide. Under their nine picture deal with Lions Gate, Twisted Pictures will finance and produce films exclusively in the horror / action genre.

Catacombs is the story of a young woman on her first visit out of the country. While in Paris, she is taken to an underground party in the Catacombs, a labyrinth of over 200 miles of 14th Century limestone tunnels under the Left Bank of the city, lined with the remains of 7 million people. When she is separated from her friends and becomes convinced that someone or something is chasing her, her vacation becomes a terrifying nightmare. Making his feature film directorial and writing debut with Catacombs, Tomm Coker previously wrote and directed the festival award-winning short A Day Between. In addition, Coker is a prolific illustrator in the comic book and graphic novel world, having drawn such characters as Wolverine from the X-Men series and Batman. He also co-created the comic-book series Blood and Water.