It was a pretty big deal back in May when we learned that Disney had set up a mystery project for Brad Bird(The Incredibles) to direct from a script by Damon Lindelof(Lost). Little was revealed about it, but speculation was that it was meant to be a major sci-fi film, working under the title of 1952. One of the most active years in NASA's history, it was a time when they were experimenting heavily with rocket technology. Or it could deal with the 1952 incident in which a number of UFO sightings were reported in Washington, DC over the course of a few weeks. Could that play a part? I think the clues are starting to point to that being the case.
Sources tell Vulture that the film is being developed along the lines of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and will follow a man in his 40s. Set in the modern day, it will largely deal with aliens making contact on Earth. As for the title? Apparently it's in reference to a box of files Lindelof found in Walt Disney's personal development lab. They had been marked 'That Darn Cat!' in reference to the 1965 film, but it was crossed out and '1952' written in its place. Inside, Lindelof found a bunch of documents regarding a potential film on alien contact.
So this is sounding even better than before, especially if Lindelof and Bird are reviving some long-thought dead project of Walt Disney's. A heavy J.J. Abrams-esque viral campaign is being planned, and with Bird and Lindelof expected to hold a Q&A later today in Hollywood, I'm guessing more details on all of it will be revealed.
