Abrams angling for Par to hook 'Catfish' (DH, FS, CIN, VAR)

By Nancy Tartaglione

In an unusual move, Paramount will hold a test-screening of Sundance documentary "Catfish" today on the studio lot. Paramount players JJ Abrams and Jason Blum are both interested in having the studio release the film, according to Deadline.com. However, the site also reported in the wee hours this morning that Brett Ratner and Relativity's Ryan Kavanaugh have made a joint offer for "Catfish," "with no need for test screenings."

The screening is intended to be held on the Paramount lot today in order to gauge how it plays before an audience.

FirstShowing first reported the news of the Paramount screening after picking up on it via a Twitter feed. The inivte, according to FS, "specifically mentions that attendees should have seen and enjoyed films like 'Cloverfield,' 'Paranormal Activity,' 'Slumdog Millionaire,' or 'An Inconvenient Truth.' Is it a coincidence that they just named three of Paramount's biggest indie successes in the last few years?"

Cinematical wondered yesterday: "Is 'Catfish' the Next 'Paranormal Activity'?" As FS notes, the films couldn't be more unlike each other (one is a documentary, the other is pretending to be a documentary). "But maybe that's exactly it, maybe they think they can turn this into a huge hit," reasons FS.

"Catfish" is about a photographer who develops an online relationship with a family who aren't who they say they are.