We’ve seen that filmmakers have been finding new ways to shoot movies while indoors due to the coronavirus, but in terms of full-scale Hollywood productions those remain on lockdown. That could be about to change if Michael Bay has anything to say about it. Deadline reports Bay will produce Songbird, a pandemic thriller that is to be shot in Los Angeles during the pandemic.
The film will be directed by Adam Mason (Into the Dark) from a script he co-wrote with Simon Boyes, and it takes place a couple of years in the future as the pandemic continues to spread and mutate. It’s being described as similar in tone to Paranormal Activity and Cloverfield, meaning it will be some form of found-footage film with a lower budget. Only there doesn’t appear to be a supernatural element, trading that for paranoia and government conspiracy.
The plan is to shoot in and around Los Angeles within five weeks, while the city is still under stay-at-home guidelines. It’s unclear how Mason plans to get around that, but Hollywood guilds have already given him the green light as they’re figuring out safety protocols for productions to resume. Casting is currently underway remotely, and a sizzle reel is being shopped around the virtual Cannes market. With Bay’s name attached, it should sell pretty easily.
