Carl Ellsworth to Rewrite C.O.D.

I know what you’re thinking.  Who is Carl Ellsworth, what is C.O.D., and why do I care?  For one, Ellsworth is a gifted screenwriter who has penned some decent thrillers recently such as DISTURBIA, RED EYE, and THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT.  Now, none of these movies feature groundbreaking screenplays, and there could be an argument that two of those three are, essentially, remakes.  However, for all of its REAR WINDOW-ness, DISTURBIA is a tight thriller with some genuine suspense, the same can be said for RED EYE, and, come one, was THE LAST HOUSE remake really that awful?

Now, on to C.O.D.  Initially written by Lars Jacobson, it is a thriller that centers on a bike messenger.  He is forced, one fateful day, to deliver three bombs with the possibility of his family receiving one in return if he does not deliver.  While this, too, doesn’t sound like it is going to bring home any golden statues, it does have the potential of being a one-day thriller (a la CELLULAR or PHONE BOOTH) that gives us 90 minutes of sheer enjoyment.

Now, let’s bring these together.  According to The Hollywood Reporter, Paramount has brought in Ellsworth to do a rewrite on the screenplay.  This type of film seems right up his alley, and, while there is no word how much of a rework he is going to do, this does add to the thriller’s potential.

Ellsworth also recently co-wrote the RED DAWN remake, and he is also working on Y: THE LAST MAN with DJ Caruso.