Michael Bay is not a filmmaker who’s known for his subtlety. The explosion connoisseur is the brains behind such bombastic cinematic showcases as Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, and the Transformers movies, and now he’s about to unleash what could be his most insane movie yet.
Bay is set to produce a new horror-thriller based on the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. OK, that doesn’t seem all that shocking, but here’s the catch: the film is going to shoot during the actual pandemic, in quarantine. The movie, called Songbird, is slated to begin filming in Los Angeles in just five weeks, which should make it the first Hollywood production to take place since the region’s stay-at-home order went into effect in March. It’s unknown just how the movie plans to accomplish this feat, but according to Deadline, the actors will receive remote training and the film’s producers have had their shooting plans approved by all of the appropriate unions. The report describes the film’s style as akin to that of found-footage horror films Paranormal Activity and Cloverfield, which would make sense for a movie filmed in quarantine.
As for the film’s plot, it sounds downright terrifying and hits a little too close to home. The movie takes place two years in the future as the virus still hasn’t gone away. In the timeline of the film, quarantines were lifted and then reinstated as the virus mutated and got worse. There is also said to be an element of government conspiracy involved with the plot, which frankly, sounds like the last thing we need right now.
This has got to be the most topical and borderline-inappropriate horror movie ideas we’ve ever heard. Granted, it was only a matter of time before someone turned the coronavirus pandemic into a horror movie, but we’re a little surprised that it’s coming from a big name like Bay. Joining Bay in producing the film is Adam Goldman and his production company Invisible Narratives, while Into the Dark‘s Adam Mason will direct from a script he co-wrote with writing partner Simon Boyes. There’s no release info for the film as of yet, but it’s expected to be sold to a distributor at the upcoming Virtual Cannes Market. Hopefully, by the time the film is released, the pandemic will be but a distant memory — because we’re not sure if we could handle it otherwise.
