Sam Raimi Directing The Day of the Triffids?

John Wyndham’s sci-fi novel The Day of the Triffids has been causing its first Hollywood stir in close to 50 years. The book about an alien invasion that follows a meteorite shower and blinds 99 percent of the population sounds like something better suited for M. Night Shyamalan, as Triffids are mobile plants that love to attack them some blind people. But alas, no M. Night. Instead, the feature adaptation may be getting a dose of sanity from Sam Raimi.

Mandate Pictures, on behalf of Raimi, is currently engaged in a bidding war that would allow production of a new feature. The 1962 original film was one of Raimi’s favorites and had a profound influence on the guy behind Evil Dead, Darkman, and Drag Me to Hell. The competition: David Yates, whom many of you know as director of four Harry Potter films. Deadline reports that “when the dust clears,” the deal will be in the seven figures.