Wanted director and Weinsteins working on sci-fi thriller Apollo 18

Wanted director Timur Bekmambetov and The Weinstein Company have announced work on Apollo 18, a sci-fi thriller they hope to release as fast as March 2011, according to THR.

The sci-fi thriller Apollo 18 is based on a screenplay by Brian Miller, winner of the inaugural Astana International Action Film Festival screenplay competition, which was founded by Timur Bekmambetov. Trevor Cawood – who directed the short film Terminus, and did visual effects work on The Matrix Reloaded – is set to direct the project, with Bekmambetov in the producers chair.

Taking cues from recent low-budget hits like Paranormal Activity and Cloverfield, Apollo 18 will be shot documentary style. The story centers on the uncovering of lost footage from Apollo 18’s undocumented and covert mission to the moon, revealing disturbing new evidence of other life forms.

Bekmambetov originally announced the contest last spring, in conjunction with Kazakhstan’s first film festival held in Astana, which took place in July 2010. Five finalists from the United States, France, Kazakhstan, and the UK attended the festival, described as a celebration of international action films. As part of the competition, Miller was awarded a cash prize and a development deal with Bekmambetov’s production company.

Apollo 18 is slated to start production this December for a March release date.