After handling visual effects for such blockbusters as Watchmen, Avatar and Terminator: Salvation, Dan Blank is aiming to showcase his directing chops in Invisible, a sci-fi feature that he just successfully pitched to Fox.
The story is still under wraps, but Invisible has been described as “following in the vein of superhero sci-fi thriller Chronicle.” Given that Chronicle was an exciting breath of fresh air for both the superhero and found-footage genres, it’s not hard to start getting excited for Invisible.
One aspect of this project that’s especially promising is the fact that Doug Simon, the writer behind SXSW Audience Award winner Brotherhood and a 2013 Black List script called Burn Site, is attached to pen the screenplay, from Blank’s idea.
If Blank is signed to direct, as seems likely, it won’t be his first time getting behind the camera for an idea he created. In 2012, he directed Monster Roll, an action comedy short centering on brave sushi chefs who take up arms to combat a giant sea monster. The film, which you can check out below, made quite a splash on the Internet when it was first released, and it’s not hard to see why.
Fox-based Hutch Parker Entertainment will handle main producing duties on Invisible. Specifically, that company’s Dan Wilson and Tom Vance will be working directly with Blank and Simon, in addition to Fox’s Steve Asbell and R&G Productions’ Steve Tzirlin.
Though details about Invisible are nonexistent save for its title, I’m always intrigued by projects that aim to mash up genres. Superheroes and science-fiction have always been closely linked, but Chronicle put a creative spin on both with its found footage format and, to give another example, both RoboCop films succeeded in melding the genres by spicing in sharp social satire. What Invisible will do, if anything, to stand on its own two feet remains to be seen, though Blank’s work on Monster Roll (which you can check out below) is definitely a promising sign for the project.
