Back on October 30, 1938, Welles read an adapted version of H.G. Wells’ famous novel War of the Worlds on the air, beginning with a series of sham news bulletins that sounded just a little bit too authentic. The resulting panic over the famed broadcast that sounded a little too real for pre-World War II America was the stuff of legend — and, apparently, it makes for an intriguing backdrop for today’s indie filmmakers.
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According to Deadline Hollywood, Arrested Development’s Tony Hale will star alongside Heather Burns and Anna Camp in Brave New Jersey, an indie comedy about a small New Jersey town on the night of the infamous War of the Worlds hoax.
Jody Lambert will direct and also co-wrote the script, along with Michael Dowling. Taylor Williams and Jen Roskind are co-producing, while Denise Chamian will executive produce.
The story is said to center around a group of townspeople whose lives are forever changed in the wake of the invasion that wasn’t. With production already underway, plot details remain scarce and the release date has yet to be announced.
Still, the premise seems clever enough to intrigue Hale fans, and students of hoax history alike. If handled with care, the idea could have some real cult-classic potential.
His turn on Arrested Development, along with his role as Selina Meyer’s eternally faithful lackey on VEEP have Hale in the good graces of small screen fans, but he is lesser-known among moviegoers. However, the actor just wrapped on Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Road Chip, which is set to hit theaters on December 23, 2015.
We’ll keep our ears open for more news on this front and we’ll bring it to you as it breaks.
