Searchingis just the start.

He calls it Screenlife.

Bekmambetov gives an example: modern dating.

Courtship in the digital era unfolds across myriad social media platforms.

The hopeful curiosity of that initial Tinder alert.

Text-cutes and flirtatious Instagram follows (howold is that photo they just liked?).

The eventual IRL meet-up, followed by days of unpacking every word with friends over Facetime.

The mind-games of that unmaterialized text bubble.

A rom-com without access to those phone screens, argues Bekmambetov, omits critical parts of the story.

The result: a new cinematic language rooted in our addiction to and reliance on ubiquitous screen-based technologies.

WithSearchingin theaters, EW got Bekmambetov to outline the future of his Screenlife slate.

Over the next 18 months, he plans to produce at least 14 new film and series projects.

An English-language remake is in the works.

Itll be a new reading of the famous story, says Bekmambetov.

Last time, it was Baz Luhrmann with a music-video/MTV version.

This is the Facebook version.

No one really knows who runs it, Bekmambetov explains of the game.

Every task brings you closer to the edge, so that you arent as scared of death anymore.

Its like a Wild West online right now.

We can do whatever we want.

Gambler (working title)

Bekmambetov sees Screenlife as an ideal platform for exploring fascinating true-life stories.

He tries to win everything back but keeps losing more, explains Bekmambetov.

Eventually, he learns that someone is playing against him online and winning all his money.

Bekmambetov considers Swartz a forgotten hero and has optioned a book about his life.

Its almost likeBraveheart, says the producer.

I understand its an important story, he says, and a perfect film for the language.

It was a glorious moment of the internet coming together and winning, says Bekmambetov.

Theres just one problem: Tripathi wasnt guilty.

And as would soon become clear, he was already dead by suicide after a struggle with depression.

Its not a happy ending, says Bekmambetov but it felt like a really important moment.

Documentary filmmaker Greg Barker (The Final Year) penned a feature script and will direct.

Night Watch

The directors 2004 hit could be remade in the Screenlife format, he says.

It will be a fantasy movie about good and evil fighting in the Internet, he says.

This remake would digitize the concept.

The Night Watch is almost certainly fighting within the internet to keep the balance, says Bekmambetov.

it’s possible for you to still curse people; theres magic and mystery.

Its about the hidden, mystical part of the internet.