Geostorm' Release Date, News: Film Undergoes Pricey Reshoots With A Different Director

Geostorm, Gerard Butler's upcoming environmental disaster movie, recently underwent a significant and pricey reshoots aimed to salvage the film, after pushing the release date multiple times.

Danny Cannon, director of 1995 Sylvester Stallone action movie "Judge Dredd" who has since become a reliable television helmer on shows such as "Gotham", is directing the reshoots, which will be overseen by the newly installed producer, Jerry Bruckheimer.

The reshoots are not just light spruce-ups, either. Close to $15 million was spent in the reshoot and according to sources it also included adding new characters and re-casting others. Geostorm will be the directorial debut of Dean Devlin, who rose to fame writing and producing Roland Emmerich's disaster tentpoles (Stargate and Independence Day).

Geostorm is not only a big bet for Devlin, but also for Skydance, which is using the project, like it did with 2015's "Terminator Genisys", to transform the company from a film financier to a creative production company.

It will star Butler as a man who heads into space to prevent climate-controlling satellites from creating a man made storm of epic proportions, and at the same time, he and his estranged brother learns of a plot to assassinate the president.

 Production on Geostorm began in October 2014 in Louisiana and was initially slated for release on October 21, 2016. However, in December 2015, test-screenings revealed that there was still work to be done, according to Joblo.

Producer Bruckheimer was brought in to consult as Skydance weighed whether to make changes in post or prepare for reshoots. Skydance chose the second option and decided to bring in Cannon to direct the reshoots.

Studio insiders downplay the reshoots, termed "pick-ups" and noted that the high cost is attributed to reassembling the international cast after close to two years since the movie had wrapped principal photography. There was also a significant visual effects work and music work.

Sources say the reshoots took place from December 3-14 in Louisiana. The changes are significant as new characters, including a female scientist, have been added, while the character played by Vikings star Katheryn Winnick was recast. Laeta Kalogridis wrote the new pages for the reshoots, according to THR.

Insiders say that Devlin remained on board as the helmer of the movie but was unavailable for film the reshoots. The companies received a DGA dispensation to allow another director to helm the new scenes, according to the sources.

Reshoots and additional photography in today's landscape of big-budget productions is not an indicator that a film will not be successful, rather reshoots is now routinely added into schedules and budgets.Geostorm will be one of the two original Skydance productions for 2017. The release date is set for October 20, 2017.