MGM Finds Cash for Outer Limits Movie

News, Projects

According to Variety, MGM has paid a sum somewhere in the mid-six figures range to Patrick Melton and Marcus Dunstan for a big screen adaption of The Outer Limits, the classic science fiction anthology show.

MGM has said that the writers were actually hired before the studio’s current financial difficulties and that they are just now being paid thanks to a recent debt extension. The writers, though, claim that work only began in mid-July.

The Outer Limits was a 1963 television show that ran for two seasons. The show, inspired by The Twilight Zone, is said to itself have inspired such later works as Terminator and Watchmen. The show was later revived in 1995 and lasted an additional seven seasons.

There is no word at this time if the big screen version of The Outer Limits will be an anthology film like 1983’s Twilight Zone: The Movie or an adaptation of a single episode like the new Twilight Zone movie Leonardo DiCaprio is currently developing at Warner Bros.

The Buzz: While I’m always down for an anthology film — especially a science fiction one — I must say I’m a little disappointed that MGM has chosen to use this money for a new project instead of releasing one of the movies currently in limbo such as Red Dawn or Cabin in the Woods.

Releasing one of those films could actually generate more cash for MGM — cash they could later use to hire Melton and Dunstan to write a film. Even if Melton and Dunstan write a knock-out script, how is MGM going to find the money to film it? What were they thinking?

Robert Saucedo is an avid movie watcher with seriously poor sleeping habits. The Mikey from Life cereal of film fans, Robert will watch just about anything — good, bad or ugly. He has written about film for newspapers, radio and online for the last 10 years. This has taken a toll on his sanity — of that you can be sure. Follow him on Twitter at @robsaucedo2500.