It feels like the world of cinema is an angry sea right now, lashing out and practically spitting news on the shores, as if in protest of the alleged “bad film climate” that suggests its more and more difficult for films to get made.
We swear we haven’t seen a busier news week in years and it almost feels like there’s a collective and optimistic “fuck you” attitude in Cannes right now against the economic forces out there. Sales at film festivals were extremely sluggish last year, but the news pouring out of Cannes this week suggests buyers, filmmakers and studios are all keen on moving above the hurdles.
And while it still might be difficult for a small, mid-sized drama to get off the ground, it’s not difficult for high-concept projects with a likely high return on investment (the idea of course being: sink in millions, make even more millions back).
Case in point, this breaking news: David Fincher is now in negotiations to direct “20,000 Leagues Under The Sea,” as written by Scott Z. Burns (“The Bourne Ultimatum,” “The Informant” and Steven Sodbergh’s just mentioned virus thriller, “Contagion“) according to THR.
A project that McG was circling last year, but was then dramatically deep-sixed, it now has life again at Disney since Fincher pitched them a new take on the material. Disney & Fincher? Gee, we’d love to see how that one works, but apparently Fincher is eager to take on a tentpole picture and change pace.
While details are under wraps, the film’s aim will be to dazzle visually and they’re even throwing around comparisons to “The Empire Strikes Back,” which is ironic because McG’s dark take on the material was what led Disney to cancel the project, but they were also under new management at the time and have probably settled a little more with confidence in where they are going.
That’s the other end of this equation. Intelligent modern auteurs can all see the change going on in film and several of them are realizing it’s better to go high-concept for now, rather than trying to push Sisyphean smaller projects up studio mountains. Soderbergh has “Contagion” in 3D, Scorsese has “The Invention of Hugo Cabret” in 3D, Paul Greengrass potentially might make, “Fantastic Voyage” in 3D, Joe Wright went for an action thriller in “Hannah,” and Sam Mendes traded chamber dramas to either make “Bond 23” or the 3D “Wizard of Oz” prequel. Expect this trend — auteurs going big — to continue, at least for the meantime.
Burns will start writing the script immediately. We’re told Fincher’s “The Social Network” is basically finished which is why the director has already started location shooting and holding auditions for his next likely project, “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo,” and will likely shoot in the fall. There are offers out to Brad Pitt and seemingly every leading lady in Hollywood is interested in the female role. However, this is a weird project in that Fincher is going full steam ahead with it and writer Steve Zaillian has yet to deliver his first draft. THR suggests, that ‘20,000 Leagues’ could go first. Right now, it’s too early to tell, but an October date for ‘Dragon Tattoo’ was almost settled on last we heard.