A movie released in the month of January doesn't have to make as much money as a summer blockbuster to be considered a hit, but the last month's Mama certainly qualifies. The movie only cost $15 million to make and in the nearly six weeks since it came out it's already managed to make more than $70 million domestically. The success paints a bright future for director Andres Muschietti, as studios love a filmmaker who can keep costs down and generate popular material. Which explains how he has already landed a new gig.
With Mama close to passing the $100 million mark at the global box office with a total $97 million take thus far, The Hollywood Reporter has learned that Muschietti will stay in genre to direct Bird Box, an adaptation of a manuscript written by Josh Malerman, who also happens to be the frontman in the band The High Strung. Described as a mix of "Children of Men and The Others," and follows a woman and two children as they travel down a river "in a seemingly post-apocalyptic setting." The book won't be released until next year, but a search is already on for writers.
Mama was actually Muscheitti's directorial debut, and was based on a short film that he directed back in 2008 (you can actually watch that full short right HERE). He actually also co-wrote the feature along with his sister Barbara and Neil Cross, so it's interesting that he isn't being considered to write the new project himself. So now we just wait for the next update...
