30 DAYS OF NIGHT Draws Closer

By: Patrick Sauriol
Date: Tuesday, March 04, 2003
Source: The Hollywood Reporter

When the film rights to the horror comic 30 DAYS OF NIGHT first sold last summer, anticipation started to swell. Attached to possibly direct the movie was none other than SPIDER-MAN helmer Sam Raimi (who was most definitely involved as one of the film's producers). However, since the time that Columbia Pictures announced it had landed the film rights little has been heard of the project. Good news gang: the filmmakers are one small but important step closer to that first day of shooting.

Senator International, a film distribution company, has agreed to partner with Columbia Pictures on financing and distribuing the eventual 30 DAYS OF NIGHT film. Raimi is still set to produce along with partners Robert Tapert and Senator through their production company, Ghost House Pictures. Senator will handle international distribution while Columbia will release the picture domestically. It's an important piece of the financial puzzle that needed to be resolved before the project could advance further.

30 DAYS OF NIGHT orignally saw publication as a comic book written by Steve Niles (co-writer on the SPAWN 2 movie script) with art by Ben Templesmith. Set in the frozen, shadowy town of Barrow, Alaska during the time of year when the sun never rises for one month, the story follows a marauding pack of vampires who intend to feed on the townsfolk. A sequel titled DARK DAYS, which picks up 6 months after the ending of the first mini-series, will be published this coming June by Idea + Design Publishing.