Though Abrams will be making the film for Universal, it will not be a remake of the studio's 1974 flick Earthquake. Nor will it (I hope) employ Sensurround. Like his last disaster release Cloverfield, the story is being kept tightly under wraps, though -- also like Cloverfield -- will feature personal relationships at the heart of the story. It is also my hope that Universal springs for a steady-cam for this project, as no amount of Dramamine could get me through his last one.

A definite upside to this project, though, is that even if Abrams sets the film in San Francisco, it may deter people in other parts of the country from moving to the fault line-strewn left coast -- thus further bringing down the cost of housing. Personally, before experiencing the 5.4 quake, I was waiting for a six-pointer and mortgage reform. The latter and a nice 2010 blockbuster might have the same effect -- without scaring me shitless.