Cameron Investigates Martian Landing…

Critics who think Titanic helmer James Cameron is on course to become the most infamous hands-on director since Orson Welles could well be proved right next year. The Oscar-winning director, who is still choosing which mega-budget project to control next, has agreed to host a 60-minute documentary on Welles' legendary radio adaptation of War of the Worlds. Titled "Martian Mania", the documentary will be produced for the Sci-Fi Channel and will dissect the groundbreaking broadcast which caused national hysteria throughout the States in 1938. Cameron will focus on the Welles' expert use of sound and timing, as well as covering the huge aftermath that followed the show. The brilliant radio broadcast, which was transmitted on Halloween Eve, led Americans to believe that Martians had invaded Earth. The national panic that ensued caused several panic-stricken suicides across the country. Welles, was subsequently investigated by the F.B.I. and became an instant celebrity (and Time magazine cover star) within days of the broadcast.