Questions Surround 'Battleship' Filming

United Press International

Studio executives at one point considered pulling the plug on Universal's "Battleship," based on the board game, sources tell The Hollywood Reporter.

With a budget topping out at more than $200 million and no major stars on board yet, industry insiders are questioning whether Universal's gamble will pay off, the report said.

"It's a big bet like many, many big bets from many studios," Universal chairman Adam Fogelson told the Reporter. "We will be nowhere near the high point and nowhere near the low point of what people are spending."

The newspaper said "Battleship," which begins filming in 15 days in Hawaii, has several questions surrounding it that don't apply to other big budget pics. It's based on a board game at a time when studio execs are questioning whether the public is tired of Hollywood's pre-sold concepts -- like old TV shows, the Reporter said.

New bosses at parent Comcast are waiting to finalize the acquisition of NBC Universal, but aside from "Despicable Me," the studio has been on a cold streak while developing a reputation for bloated budgets, the report said..

"Battleship" is based on the Hasbro game about naval strategy that's been around since World War I. But the director has added a new twist -- "Battleship" a movie about an alien invasion at sea. The financial reverses over the years by waterborne epics -- "Waterworld" for example -- is a part of Hollywood history, the Reporter said.

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