Paramount may have let the rights to the David Fincher project, “Torso,” lapse recently, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the film based on a graphic novel about famous “Untouchables,” Chicago cop Eliot Ness is in jeopardy.
Producer Bill Mechanic (who was an integral force in getting “Fight Club” to the screen) told MTV News that the adaptation of Brian Michael Bendis’ comic is still moving forward, with or without Paramount’s involvement.
Fincher is still evidently attached and Mechanic believes Paramount will eventually shepherd the film to the big screen. “We want them to make the movie and I think they want to make it. Cool heads will prevail and hopefully it’ll get started pretty quickly. If they don’t make it, somebody will. I’m focused on making the picture.”
“Cool heads will prevail?” Does that mean, Fincher is still beefing with Paramount? Perhaps it’s a money issue? ‘Benjamin Button’ is reportedly barely going to break even. Mechanic hints that rights are evidently “more complicated” than just lapsed ownership rights. Whatever that means. But with a project like this in at least semi-limbo (which seems fair to say), it’s probably likely that potential stars like Matt Damon and Casey Affleck will only be on board if their schedules link up with the if and when.