Even after the whirlwind of hype surrounding Snakes on a Plane, I think most people would be hard pressed to remember the name of it's director, David R. Ellis. Considering the ... mixed reaction Snakes received from critics and audiences, it's probably in the best interest of Ellis' career that it stays that way. So despite the bad reviews and cries of manufactured zeitgeist, Ellis seems to have managed to walk away unscathed and is already hard at work on his new film, Asylum. Now Variety has announced that Ellis, a former child actor and stunt man, is also attached to direct and co-produce the action thriller High Stakes for Persistent Entertainment.

The story follows two friends on a gambling trip to Las Vegas who rack up a gambling debt to the wrong people. The friends are then forced to become the subjects of a dangerous high-stakes bet to pay off their marker. Ronnie Christensen (Passengers) wrote the script and the film is set to start shooting this spring. There is no word on a cast yet, so Ellis and company are going to have to work quickly if they want to stick to their schedule.

Odds and ends from Monday:

• I don't know about you, but I sure was wondering which project David R. Ellis would choose to follow up Snakes on a Plane. Monkeys on an Escalator? Elephants on a Corporate Retreat? Nope. Nada. Zip. Variety announced that Ellis has been tapped to direct Asylum for Hyde Park Entertainment. Though no snakes are involved in this one, pic will center around a group of college freshman who learn their dorm used to be an insane asylum. Not for nothing, but my college dorm was full of nutjobs. However, something tells me the infamous "freshman fifteen" is the least these kids need to worry about.
• Ahh, there's nothing like taking a nice, relaxing cruise to help reignite your marriage. Well, that's unless you're part of a horror script that was just picked up by Touchstone Pictures. Brothers Noah and Alexi Hawley unloaded their script, Dead in the Water, which marks their first sale as a writing team. Pic will follow a couple who, while traveling on a cruise, become engulfed in some horrific nightmare after the ship picks up a mysterious man at sea.
• Are you one of those people who walk around quoting lines from Wall Street constantly in order to impress friends who wish you would just shut up already? Well, 20 years after the original film starring Michael Douglas and Charlie Sheen hit the screen, comes word that a sequel is definitely in the works. According to Moviehole via "someone at FOX," Oliver Stone and Michael Douglas are currently writing the script, which would be set 20 years after the first. Story will pick up as Gordon Gecko is released from prison and will follow the sleaze as he attempts to adapt in a completely different world. Most likely, Sheen will not be back. But, knowing both Stone and Douglas are involved does make me feel somewhat good about it. You?

Let me just say this: I totally told you so. Awhile back, I told you how some of the cast from Snakes on a Plane had returned to the set for re-shoots in order to "up the ante" and transform the film from just some regular old PG-13 flick about a bunch of cute little snakes on a plane to an explosive, kick-ass, balls-to-the-wall good time.

Well, Bloody Disgusting recently interviewed David R. Ellis and the Snakes director shed some much-needed light on those controversial "additional scenes," as well as silenced the Internet haters (Ahem, Martha!) who claim all the snakes in the film are fake. According to Ellis, there were "over 500 real, non-venomous snakes as well as some CGI snakes" on set and, hopefully, in the film too. Heck, it's going to take over one thousand snakes to get me to shell out ten bucks for this thing.

And about those additional scenes -- here's where I told you so: Ellis claims that the reason for the R rating is that the deaths are more violent and graphic. Oh, and there's nudity. Where would there be nudity you ask? Well, how about in a scene where a man and a woman find themselves wanting to join the mile-high club. Ha! I totally called it. I want first dibs on the sequel's script. Snakes hits theaters on August 18. Only then will we see if all this Internet buzz translates to box office gold or if, like me, people opt out of paying for a ticket in order to continue making fun of the ridiculous premise.