'Piranha 3DD' Pulled From U.K. Theaters; What About U.S. Release?

Apparently the United Kingdom didn't enjoy Alexander Aja's "Piranha 3D" as much as U.S. audiences did. Dread Central reports that the sequel, "Piranha 3DD," isn't being released in theaters in the U.K. and will head straight to DVD on March 19, 2012, instead. The remake of Joe Dante and Roger Corman's original 1978 movie was surprisingly acclaimed by critics and made over $83 million at the box office, easily recouping its $24 million budget.

There's been no official reason given as to why the sequel was pulled from theatrical distribution. The movie grossed over $6 million in Britain, so it might just be a matter of economics. Does the decision to put "Piranha 3DD" out straight to DVD in the reflect what might happen in the United States? Co-writer Patrick Melton says it's still on track to be released theatrically in the, just later than the original Thanksgiving release date.

"[The movie] was [screen] tested and scored very well," he said in an interview with The Daily Dead. "So well the studio gave us more money to enhance the FX. Soon, it'll be done and ready for a theatrical release. Because of the 'Spring Break vibe' in the film, spring was the obvious time to open it. So, that's the long and short of it. All good. In theaters this spring. See you then."

"Piranha 3DD" has the swarm of man-eaters heading toward a water park named Big Wet that should serve as a tasty gourmet restaurant. A trio of friends must find a way to stop the carnivorous creatures from devouring the entire staff and their fun-seeking patrons.

The movie sounds like a lot of fun. There's nothing better than some good old-fashioned carnage in the water, as countless "Jaws" and past "Piranha" films have proved. I don't really care too much for a bunch of women running around in swimsuits, but I know that does appeal to a certain lowbrow audience; I just want the gore and scenes of half-eaten body parts.

John Gulager is taking over the director's chair from Alexander Aja for "Piranha 3DD." He is best known for his trilogy of "Feast" films. Gulager and the making of "Feast" were featured as the subject of the third season of "Project Greenlight," which won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Reality Program.

Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton wrote the screenplay for the film. The duo has worked together for the past few years. They are known for their collaborations on the "Saw" series and "The Collector."

"Piranha 3DD" brings Ving Rhames, Christopher Lloyd, and Paul Scheer back in their roles from the first installment. Costars include Danielle Panabaker and David Koechner. It also features appearances by legends like David Hasselhoff, Gary Busey, Clu Gulager, and more.

The movie is set to hit theaters in America sometime in 2012. You can check out a clip from the film and some images to get you excited for the release courtesy of the website Dread Central . Fans have a while to wait so hopefully these treats will tide you over.

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