Cronenberg + Ludlum?
I was in a so-whatty frame of mind when I read earlier today about Tom Cruise and Denzel Washington reportedly being close to signing for The Matarese Circle, an updating of a respected 1983 Robert Ludlum thriller under director David Cronenberg. It would be the second high-velocity, internationally-flavored vehicle for Cruise on top of The Tourist, a remake of the French-produced Anthony Zimmer ('05) which Variety says will be his next project.
What's in this for Cronenberg besides a fat paycheck? The man has always made films that have had some kind of extra thematic layer or undercurrent, or at least an application of kink. Read the synopses of the original '83 Ludlum novel. Unless rewriters Michael Brandt and Derek Haas are radically departing from the book, there doesn't seem to be anything in it other than straight plot. Is Cronenberg looking to be the next Paul Greengrass or '90s-era Phillip Noyce? If so, that's a switch.
It's a good idea to beware, by the way, of anyone who had anything above-the-liney to do with Wanted, and in my book that means beware of Brandt and Haas. I realize that the ludicrousness of that Angelina Jolie thriller was partly due to the graphic-novel origins as well as the direction of that three-toed Russian sloth Timur Bekmambetov, who made this Universal release into one of the dumbest, most over-cranked action films of all time. But Brandt-Haas also wrote 3:10 to Yuma as well as 2 Fast 2 Furious. Make that caveat emptor plus.
Posted by Jeffrey Wells on February 11, 2009 at 6:06 PM
comment #1
BurmaShave
says ...
3:10 TO YUMA and 2 FAST 2 FURIOUS were both fine screenplays for what they were, especially the former. Let's just hope this is more BOURNE SUPREMACY or OSTERMAN WEEKEND than HOLCROFT COVENANT.
Posted by BurmaShave
at February 11, 2009 7:35 PM
comment #2
Gordon27
says ...
I agree with what you say here, Jeff, but I thought you *liked* '3:10 to Yuma'.
Posted by Gordon27
at February 11, 2009 7:50 PM
comment #3
actionman
says ...
love how this is shaping up
"What's in this for Cronenberg besides a fat paycheck?"
maybe he wants to work with some major movie stars and make ANOTHER kick ass thriller.
Posted by actionman
at February 11, 2009 8:06 PM
comment #4
MartinBlank
says ...
Cronenberg has never struck me as a sell-out. He's most likely found something in this material that resonates with him. Even Fast Company he did because he loved to race cars himself. He's one of the few directors who can put his personal stamp on anything (though I'm glad he didn't put that to the test with Basic Instinct 2, which he was apparently briefly attached to at one point).
Posted by MartinBlank
at February 11, 2009 9:14 PM
comment #5
Chase Kahn
says ...
Even though I really like and enjoyed 'Eastern Promises' and 'A History of Violence' -- I kind of wish Cronenberg would go back to his roots and put together a swan-song to his 70's-80's horror schlock fests...or at least work in an exloding head scene straight out of 'Scanners'.
Posted by Chase Kahn
at February 11, 2009 9:38 PM
comment #6
arturobandini2
says ...
After the dismal response to Spider, which Dave poured heart and soul into and essentially directed for free, I doubt we'll see anything more from him with that level of personal attachment. Critics and even his fanbase deserted him for Crash, eXistenZ and Spider -- arguably his most mature work as a director. Anyone who's read Cronenberg on Cronenberg knows the guy is a brainiac. He wants to be a working director and has no illusions about what the business now requires of him.
It is shameful that his films have never been nominated for anything. He's gotten career-best work out of so many alpha actors. How could Jeremy Irons win an Oscar for Reversal of Fortune and not even be *nominated* for Dead Ringers? How could critics ignore Miranda Richardson's multiple freak turns in Spider? How could Francis Coppola, as jury foreman, obstruct the Palme d'Or for Crash? Truth is, we're all a little bit responsible for what's happened to Cronenberg's career.
Posted by arturobandini2
at February 11, 2009 10:58 PM
comment #7
BurmaShave
says ...
Jeremy Irons won Best Actor for REVERSAL OF FORTUNE largely because of his snub for DEAD RINGERS, he even alluded to it in his speech.
And I think what killed SPIDER more than anything was more releasing, though Richardson really was amazing in that, as was Fiennes. But I'm not bemoaning the current state of his career, HISTORY OF VIOLENCE and EASTERN PROMISES are two of his best films ever.
Posted by BurmaShave
at February 12, 2009 12:43 AM
comment #8
lazespud
says ...
I say give this man this horrible Ludlum thing to direct. Hopefully it will make buckets of money, and then Croneberg can have another decade of making whatever the fuck he wants because a producer will be able to slap "from the director of Giant Spy Thriller Movie" on the DVD.
I mean it was just shameful how he had to scramble to make Spider, and then NO ONE saw the thing (what a great movie, BTW). I'm not sure how he got A History Of Violence, because honestly he seemed like he was this far from never getting to direct again.
He's clearly one of the best and most important filmmakers of the last 30 years and if doing a big action picture for some dough helps him continue making other great films, I'm all for it.
Now if it turns out to be a great film all the better. Think of Doug Lyman. I know we've all heard stories about supposedly how nuts Lyman is on set, but wasn't the original Bourne film unexpectedly great, coming from a guy who directed some pretty small indie films that had almost no action? I mean if anyone can figure this out it would be Croneberg; and don't forget how god damned riveting that Bath House fight scene in Promises was.
Posted by lazespud
at February 12, 2009 1:56 AM
comment #9
Rich S.
says ...
The synopsis didn't have anything about Tom or Denzel pulling guns made of flesh out or their chest cavities, but I suppose that can be added in a rewrite.
Cronenberg, as idiosyncratic as he is, is no stranger to big budget Hollywood fare. The Dead Zone was almost a completely straight adaptation, with only the bit about the scissors to even indicate that Cronenberg was involved. I'm sure he'll do fine.
Won't compare to Samantha Eggar licking the afterbirth off her children of rage, though.
Posted by Rich S.
at February 12, 2009 8:59 AM
comment #10
Monument
says ...
Anyone here actually read the book? It's an odd one, but I liked it, I can see how Cronenberg could make it interesting
Posted by Monument
at February 12, 2009 12:21 PM
comment #11
CitizenKanedforChewingGum
says ...
I'll second (or third, fourth, whatever) the love for Spider. What a highly personal, unique work.
You can tell the financial failure of that film really stung - personally, perhaps...but more importantly clout-wise. He's sort of been atoning for it ever since -- and doing a damn fine job of retaining his auteur status while adapting more mainstream (for him, at least!) projects.
Doug Liman is a pretty strange name to evoke here. The guy got off to a pretty good start, no doubt. But then came Mr. and Mrs. Smith (ouch), Jumper (eek), and now the announced sequel that nobody was asking for, Jumper 2 (that's three strikes and you're out...directly to video).
Pardon the pun, but at this point, dude has really jumpered the shark.
Posted by CitizenKanedforChewingGum
at February 12, 2009 3:42 PM
comment #12
TVMCCA
says ...
CitizenKaned....wrote:
Doug Liman is a pretty strange name to evoke here. The guy got off to a pretty good start, no doubt. But then came Mr. and Mrs. Smith (ouch), Jumper (eek), and now the announced sequel that nobody was asking for, Jumper 2 (that's three strikes and you're out...directly to video).
JUMPER 2 will be at least a little more watchable if Hayden Christensen isn't in it.
Posted by TVMCCA
at February 13, 2009 12:17 AM