It might be a little disturbing, but it’s undeniable: There’s definitely an audience out there for films that take young, attractive stars and put them in harm’s way — particularly when that star is part of a pop phenomenon that’s both incredibly popular and has the capacity to annoy.
Such is the nature of the press release that just sluiced into my inbox regarding Gossip Girl star Jessica Szohr’s upcoming appearance in Piranha 3-D, a remake of 1978’s memorable, limited-budget Jaws knockoff, Piranha. Directed by Alexandre Aja — not long ago responsible for another horror remake, The Hills Have Eyes — the new film is expected to retain the original’s essential plot (a popular lakeside town’s residents become gristle for the deadly fish teeming in its waters), but likely will be a sexier update … especially with Jaws star Richard Dreyfuss putting in an appearance.
According to E! Online, the film’s release date is currently slated for March 19, 2010 — which puts it right in that post-Academy Awards-but-too-early-for-summer pocket when the industry releases its most terrific fare. But given that people are generally aware of that trend, it might just be part of a brilliant marketing campaign to get people primed for a B-movie of “titanic” proportions. Or maybe it’ll just be irony-free and truly horrible. We’ll have to wait and see.
Maybe you remember the original, or maybe you’re part of the Gossip Girl generation that may not have seen it yet, but here in all its (rather tame) gory glory is the trailer for the 1978 original.
While you wait for the coming onslaught, feel free to take in the rest of Gossip Girl as it finishes up Season 2, airing Mondays on The CW.
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Photo:
Credit: Giovanni Rufino / The CW © 2009 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
I love the original “Piranha”! And I think Spielberg said it was his favorite “Jaws” knockoff. But let’s hope they don’t get desperate enough to have to remake “Barracuda.”