When you watched the 1990 Charles Grodin/Jim Belushi identity theft comedy “Taking Care of Business,” did you finish up and think ‘One day, that man will rule Hollywood.’ If so, you’re lying, because the first produced credit of a then 24-year-old Jeffrey Jacob Abrams shows few signs of the ambition of a man who, according to a report by the Department of Made-Up Statistics, will be responsible for 75% of Hollywood’s output by the year 2018. And what’s more, he can play a mean keyboard solo.
Piling onto Abrams steadily growing slate of projects that include his next directorial effort “Super 8,” producing “Mission Impossible 4” and working on “Star Trek 2” at some point next year, is a new pitch from Jack Bender, long-time director on Abrams’ crown jewel, the recently-completed “Lost.” “7 Minutes In Heaven” is a thriller based on an idea from Bender, focusing around the titular high-school make-out game, following two teenagers who emerge from their allotted seven minutes to discover that all their friends have been killed.
It’s certainly a high concept, although we hope that it’ll end up being more than the teen slasher flick that it sounds like — but coming from Abrams’ stable, we’re expecting something a little more unusual than “Sorority Row.” Bad Robot are currently looking for a writer, and, if it comes off, Bender is likely to direct, although he’ll probably first tackle the next Jack Ryan (“Moscow“) movie for Paramount, which he’s in negotiations for. [Heat Vision]
