It seems "L.A. Riots" isn't the only long-developing project to get some new life today, as "Persepolis" and "Chicken With Plums" director Marjane Satrapi is now taking over a movie that at one time had a pretty promising pair circling.
Back in 2010, Mark Romanek and Ben Stiller were linked to "The Voices," a very dark dramedy that seemed like the kind of high-concept stuff that doesn't easily get made. And indeed, a couple years have passed since then, but Satrapi will give it a whirl. Penned by Michael R. Perry ("Paranormal Activity"), the Black List script tells the story of Jerry Hickfang, a bathtub factory worker, who kills the woman in accounting with whom he's been having a relationship. He then starts taking advice from his cat and dog on how to cover his tracks and avoid trouble, all while leading him to some kind of salvation. Like we said, this is pretty high-concept and definitely wacky.
One can't help but think that this endeavor will either fly over the heads of audiences like Jodie Foster's "The Beaver" or be wholly embraced like Seth MacFarlane's "Ted," both movies which featured animals (of a sort) to an outrageous degree. Clearly, the folks at Mandalay Entertainment are hoping for more of the latter, as this one is now casting with an early 2013 shoot being eyed. It's certainly a big step for Satrapi, who is moving from films based on her own experiences and history to…. a movie with a talking cat and dog. We like the risk-taking, so we'll see how it pays off. [Deadline]