Eli Roth will begin production on Hostel 2 in September in Prague, Cesky Krumlov, Karlovy Vary andother locations around the Czech Republic.

The director told reporters at theKarlovy Vary International Film Festival the film financing was a negative pick-upby Columbia Screen Gems and Lionsgate. Lionsgate will distribute the film with Sony in the United States,Roth said, beginning with a January or February 2007 release. Columbia will distribute the filminternationally.

Roth said the budget for Hostel 2 was "slightly higher" than thatfor the previous film, but that he wanted the sequel to resemble closely theoriginal in style.

"I want it to feel like the movie isgoing to pick up on the next cut, as if you could watch the two moviesback-to-back and it would be a three-hour movie," he said. "There will be somenew things thrown in there but it has to look and feel like that movie."

Roth said that Hostel 2, which focus on three female characters, will be darkerthan the original. "The first Hostelis a journey into hell that starts off fun," he said. "Part 2 is going to startoff scary and stay creepy all the way through."

Roth planned to shoot most of thefilm at various locations around the Czech Republic, with somescenes shot at Barrandov Studios. "We're also goingto shoot some other places, like Rome,and kind of expand just a little bit it outside. And if they let me back into Slovakia, maybe Slovakia."

The first Hostel, although filmed inthe Czech Republic,was set in neighbouring Slovakia. Many Slovaks, includingthe minister for culture, have taken exception to the way their country wasportrayed in the film.

Roth also confirmed plans to direct Cell, an adaptation of the Stephen Kingbest-seller, for the Weinstein Company, with production beginning in spring2007.

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