Liebesman had been in contention to nab the
gig since early June, with negotiations stretching through the summer. Money
was a factor, as was the hurdle of overcoming the negative perception of this
year's initial installment. The movie, a remake of the 1981 original, became a
worldwide hit for Warner Bros. and financier Legendary Pictures, grossing more
than $491 million, although it garnered many negative reviews. The studio is
hoping to right the wrongs, shooting it in 3D (as opposed to have it added
during postproduction, as with the first movie). Sam Worthington and Gemma
Arterton are among the actors expected to return for the second installment.
Executives settled on Liebesman after seeing footage of "Battle: Los
Angeles," the director's upcoming "Black Hawk Down"-style
alien-invasion movie, which showed he could handle large-scale action and
intense visual effects. The footage also impressed at Comic-Con, where is stood
out from forthcoming wave of alien-invasion flicks.
