Abrams to produce disaster film

Abrams is directing the new Star Trek prequel released in 2009

Director JJ Abrams is to produce a new disaster film centred around an earthquake, it has been confirmed.

Film company Universal has not released many details about the as-yet-untitled movie, except to confirm that relationships will be the focal point.

Abrams' last project, Cloverfield, created a media frenzy because all the details were kept secret until the movie hit cinemas.

The Lost and Alias creator has so far only signed up to produce the film.

Cloverfield, a disaster film about a giant monster attacking New York, was also seen through the eyes of a personal relationship.

A complete blackout about the stars and plot, together with a viral marketing campaign meant the film was kept firmly under wraps until its premiere.

The film was so shrouded in secrecy that scripts were watermarked to prevent anyone copying them, and each day producers would swap the the previous day's script for the latest pages.

Universal have played down reports that the new offering from Abrams was to be a remake of the 1974 hit Earthquake.