_{He comes in peace.}

And here you thought Roland Emmerich couldn’t settle for anything less than epic. The director, who in Independence Day and 2012 destroyed the land we love so much, is prepping The Zone, and alien invasion movie he’ll make with a $5 million budget. No plot details are known but it will take the "found footage" approach and be improv-based with a cast of relative unknowns, much like Cloverfield and Paranormal Activity.

Shooting begins in mid-November off a script by French writer-director Guillaume Tunzini. Considering the budget for The Zone is what Emmerich usually spends on his craft services strudel supply, it’ll be interesting to see what he cranks out. No demolishing famous landmarks this time around. The best he’ll get is a modest ranch home with not too much surrounding land to scorch. (THR)