Since my interview with Kelly, a basic synopsis of "The Box" has hit the Internet so when I spotted Eli Roth at the World Premiere of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen's first big feature film, "New York Minute," I figured the time was right to confirm the basic plotline of "The Box."
INTERVIEW WITH WRITER/DIRECTOR ELI ROTH:
Have you and Richard Kelly started working on “The Box?”
Yeah. We’re about halfway through the script. Actually, we’ve been trading off and Rich Kelly, he called me yesterday and he has like 45 pages done and now he’s giving them to me this weekend. I’m like checking my email compulsively because then I take over for a bit.
Can you confirm the storyline for "The Box" now that the basics are on the Internet?
It’s kind of out, it’s kind of out. It is based on a Richard Matheson story that Rich has got the rights to. It’s about a couple and they get this mysterious box, and when you push a button, it brings you money but someone you don’t know dies. And it very quickly spirals out of control very fast. It’s really about greed and sort of losing one’s soul and crazy, dark, horrible, strange things happening.
Is there going to be a rabbit in “The Box?”
There has to be. We have to have one. There has to be some sort of bunny thing. I don’t think it would be a Richard Kelly/Eli Roth movie without some sort of bunny or rabbit.
Have you done any casting yet?
No. We actually started writing it with certain actors in mind but then we realized that it was actually hindering our writing because we were so conscious of what those actors were doing, that we’re just writing the characters and then we’re going to think about casting once it’s done.
Has Richard Kelly shown you the Director’s Cut of “Donnie Darko” yet?
No, and in fact, he won’t tell me what’s in it. I called him yesterday and I could hear him on the mixing stage and he was salivating. He said it sounds incredible. He gave me a little hint of the stuff he put in it and I almost don’t even want to know – I’m so excited.
So what’s the timeline for Richard Kelly? Is he doing “Southland Tales” before “The Box?”
Richard will be producing “The Box” and directing “Southland Tales.” I actually want to wait… If Richard’s doing “Southland Tales,” I’m not going to shot “The Box” because we really want to be on set together. So I’ll probably wait until he wraps that.
And "Southland Tales" is supposed to start in June?
Yeah, I think June. So maybe we’ll shoot it in the fall.
Back when you were promoting “Cabin Fever,” you kept saying there were going to be lots of “Cabin Fever” babies. Were there?
(Laughing) I think so. I know there were lots of “Cabin Fever” disciples.
Are you happy with how "Cabin Fever" is doing on DVD?
It’s killing. I’m thrilled. I mean, we made the movie for like $1.5 million and it’s earned like $100 million worldwide. Not that any of it went to me, mind you. But…
But you and your family funded the film basically.
And my friends, and thankfully it all worked out. It sold like a million DVDs in the first week, which is huge for them. It kind of blew away their expectations. I think it’s going to be the highest selling DVD Lions Gate ever had. And right now in England, it’s still in the top 5 and at Blockbuster it’s in the top 20. It’s really, really doing terrific. I’m thrilled – the fact that it made it to the theater is pretty exciting.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:
Lengthy Interview with "Cabin Fever" Writer/Director, Eli Roth
Interview with Richard Kelly on "Donnie Darko," "The Box," and Other Projects
"Cabin Fever" Photo Gallery, Interviews, and Movie News
