'Hatchet' cameraman to helm threequel

GreenMcDonnellAfter serving as a cameraman on Adam Green's "Hatchet" and its sequel, BJ McDonnell has been tapped to direct "Hatchet 3." McDonnell will make his directorial debut with the horror pic, a co-production of ArieScope Pictures and Dark Sky Films, a subsidiary of the MPI Media Group. Green, who wrote and directed the first two films in the slasher series, will work closely with McDonnell on all aspects of production. "Hatchet 3" will pick up where the last film left off, as a young woman sought revenge on the malevolent monster that killed her family while they were fishing in Louisiana swamp country. Sequel will continue the story of villain Victor Crowley, who first made his gruesome mark in the original 2007 pic. "Hatchet II" made headlines last fall when it became the first unrated indie horror film to be exhibited by a major chain (AMC Theatres) in more than 25 years. Over the last decade, McDonnell has been the camera operator on major Hollywood films such as "Battle Los Angeles," "The Darkest Hour" and Rob Zombie's "Halloween." He's currently in Pittsburg shooting Paramount's Tom Cruise-starrer "One Shot." "I've been with the 'Hatchet' team from the very beginning and am honored and thrilled that Adam has handed me the reins on this third movie," said McDonnell. "I grew up watching horror films and like Adam Green, I'm a true genre fan at heart. I have been waiting for an opportunity like this to step up and make my directorial debut with something I love and know inside and out." "BJ was not only the camera operator on the first two 'Hatchet' movies. He was there alongside me creating every shot, working closely with me to craft each scene, moment, outrageous kill, and performance," said Green. "He is absolutely beloved by the entire Hatchet family and his experience on everything from huge studio films to smaller independent productions will ensure that he will do the franchise proud." In addition to the "Hatchet" films, ArieScope's other movies include "Frozen," "Spiral" and "Grace," while MPI/Dark Sky Films has produced and distributed genre titles such as "The House of the Devil," "Stake Land" and "The Innkeepers." Contact Jeff Sneider at jeff.sneider@variety.com

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