Eli Roth picks up 'Cell'

He plans to tackle Stephen King's new novel, plus we've got news of a very special 'Hostel' screening.

Mar  8 2006

'Hostel' director Eli Roth has announced plans to adapt Stephen King's latest book 'Cell' for Dimension Films.

The horror novel, which revolves around a pulse being sent through cell phones around the world, turning phone users into murderous zombies, has garnered King's best reviews in years.

And with Roth riding high following the critical and commercial success of 'Hostel', this truly could be a match made in hell.

Speaking of the project, Roth told Ain't It Cool News 'When the pulse hits, I wanna see it hit everywhere. In restaurants, in movie theaters, at sports events, all the places that people drive you crazy when they're talking on their cell phones.

'I see total armageddon. People going crazy killing each other - everyone at once - all over the world. Cars smashing into each other, people getting stabbed, throats getting ripped out. The one thing I always wanted to see in zombie movies is the actual moment the plague hits, and not just in one spot, but everywhere.'

Roth will start work on the pic after he wraps 'Hostel 2', which is due to shoot in Prague later this year.

In related news, March 18 is 'Hostel' day according to the lovely folks at FrightFest. They have organised a special 14-hour celebration of the film's release, when horror classics like 'The Wicker Man' and 'Theatre of Blood' will screen alongside new flicks like 'Mortuary', 'Reeker' and, of course, Roth's own 'Hostel'.

For more information, head to the official FrightFest site here.

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