Oh, the horror

Vancouver – Horror maestro John Carpenter begins two months of production in Vancouver March 14 on the remake of his 1980 classic The Fog, this time as an executive producer. Rupert Wainwright (Stigmata) takes the helm for the 2005 version, and local PM Grace Gilroy oversees production for Revolution/Sony.

In the updated film, Tom Welling (Smallville, which shoots in Vancouver) and Maggie Grace (Lost) star in the story about a northern California fishing village visited by the ghosts of long-dead mariners bent on revenge. Ian Edwards

Lando lands two-pic deal

Vancouver – Producer/director Jeffrey Lando (Way Below the Line Entertainment) wrapped one low-budget thriller in Vancouver in February and will wrap two weeks of production March 19 on a second, as part of a two-picture output deal for L.A.-based distributor Shoreline Entertainment.

Insecticidal (which originally shot in Vancouver in February as Mandibles) is a sorority slasher DVD movie featuring giant bugs. Rhonda Dent (Tru Calling), Meghan Heffern (Ginger Snaps Back: the Beginning) and Samantha McLeod (The L Word) star. Digital Alchemy Entertainment of Vancouver is doing visual effects. Delivery is scheduled for April 1.

Meanwhile, Incursion is in production near Sasamat Lake in Port Moody. Kiara Hunter (Sub Zero), Ken Roberts (Taken) and Tom O’Brien (The Perfect Husband: The Laci Peterson Story) star in a story about an alien invasion discovered by campers. Delivery is scheduled for the end of May.

Both features are low-budget productions shot in HD. Ian Edwards

Somethin’ completely Diff’rent

Vancouver – Three weeks of production wraps March 23 on Growin’ Up Diff’rent, another MOW that tells the ‘unauthorized’ story behind an old TV sitcom. This time NBC is retelling the story of 1978-86 series Diff’rent Strokes and its stars, Gary Coleman, Todd Bridges and Dana Plato. Production is at Lions Gate Studios in North Vancouver and on location throughout the Lower Mainland, with Colin Cunningham (Elektra) and Lorena Gale (Slither) among the cast.