OBVIOUSLY CONFUSED DAVID CRONENBERG WANDERS INTO LUDLUM ADAPTATION
- By Devin Faraci
- Published 10/7/2008
- News
I know that David Cronenberg has spent the last few years moving away from the kinds of films that we would describe as Cronenbergian, but is it possible that he's wandered too far afield? Variety is reporting that the Canadian genius is in negotiations to direct an adaptation of fucking Robert Ludlum book, The Matarese Circle. And from a script by the very, very middlebrow duo of Michael Brandt and Derek Haas - aka the guys behind 3:10 to Yuma and The A-Team movie scripts*. The 1979 Ludlum book is about two dudes - an American and a Soviet - who discover that all the world's governments are run by a global conspiracy called The Matarese, and they try to topple it. Ludlum based The Matarese on the Trilateral Commission for those of you out there with tin foil hats.
Denzel Washington was already on board to star as the American.
I mean, this would be a perfectly serviceable action thriller, but I don't see why Cronenberg wants to go here, unless he really wants the dough and Eastern Promises got him super excited about making movies featuring Russians. Am I being too close-minded or is it weird to see a guy this good, this unique, this talented, getting shoved into a directorial slot as just another 'element?' Don't you want to see Cronenberg either developing his own material or taking material and making it his own - something that seems unlikely on this kind of a proeject?
I'll wait and see; after all, who would have guessed that Ludlum books were a good idea for Paul Greengrass after Bloody Sunday.
* They wrote Wanted but I've heard that the final product doesn't much resemble what they had.
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Comments
Comment #1 (Posted by Satan)
Yeah, the Brandt/Haas draft was pretty serviceable. Chris Morgan was really to blame there.
Comment #2 (Posted by Dick Cheese)
I agree to a point. His last good, pure Cronenberg effrots (Existenz and Spider) were masterpieces, but now he's gone into 'work for hire' territory. His latest films aren't bad per se, but feel extremely pedestrian compared to his horror/sci-fi output. Maybe he just doesn't have much to say anymore. Now it seems he's doing it purely for the paycheck, and really, after making such an awesome library of films, who can question that?
Comment #3 (Posted by Lucas)
His films have always had a traditional, old-hollywood structure to them, which has served to make his subversions and transgressions against type even more shocking. We also have to credit him as an excellent actor's director.
Comment #4 (Posted by Seth Brundle)
If you'd seen Cronenberg's opera adaptation of his own THE FLY, you'd really be questioning where his judgment has gone.
Comment #5 (Posted by jaceel)
You can be weird for only soo long. I love spider but that movie was a disaster for the people who worked on the film (below the line and the investors). He has learned that if he wants to express his world view you have to do in a form palatable for general audiences. I love the weird and miss it maybe he will get enough Hollywood cache that he can come back and do a small film. I also think the typical croenberg film may have been limiting him. He did make fast company in the mist of all that body horror.
Comment #6 (Posted by Ben)
Well, at least I can look forward to a really really good, if not great, Robert Ludlum adaptation. So which dude is Viggo going to play, the American or the Soviet?
Comment #7 (Posted by LD)
I think you'd get plenty of over 25 female ticket sales by putting Denzel and Viggo together in something such as this, suspect script not withstanding.
Comment #8 (Posted by an unknown user)
actually kind of excited for this..even though i havent liked history of violence and eastern promises (but fuck, was spider good), cronenberg has a very distinct visual style and and is not afraid for there to be silence between characters for numerous scenes, usually telling more than other directors can with whole pages of dialogue
Comment #9 (Posted by DrEricFritz)
I really like the idea of Denzel Washington and Cronenberg teaming up. Denzel is a great actor in way too many mediocre movies and this might be an excellent opportunity for him too shine. But then again, who knows.
Comment #10 (Posted by stella)
ill take cronenberg doing anything. he's better than nolan or any other stupid shit director of now time. word up.
Comment #11 (Posted by an unknown user)
Getting art house film makers into the main stream movie territory can result in a good main stream film being made. Inside man, The bourne films etc etc all made better by the fact they were made by film makers who had something to say.
Comment #12 (Posted by Michael)
I remember see Cronenberg at a Fangoria weekend of horrors, where he was promoting Spider, claim that he had been trying to sell out to Hollywood for years, but they weren't interested in him due to his weirdness. It looks like he might've finally made it.
Comment #13 (Posted by Reagan)
I remember in an interview that Cronenberg had a hard time sinking into his own scripts, as he did on Videodrome, Naked Lunch (my 2 favorites of his). I can forgive that, because EVERYONE either peaks early, or late, and the films are still there. I wish that he would chase something other than thriillers, though. I would have loved to see his version of 'Black Hole' or 'Time Traveler's Wife' or something completely unexpected. This is unexpected, but boring.
Comment #14 (Posted by RobertRedrum)
Cronenberg doing a weird paranoid conspiracy movie for the masses? Sounds pretty good. I'm guessing that Viggo has been such a lucky charm of late that he'll turn up as the Russian. Does the book have anything as sweet as the steamroom razor fight?
Comment #15 (Posted by masterbrocksamson690)
Devin, why don't you email or call Cronenberg to find out why he's doind something you don't agree with? You have such clout in the world why not just do that? And what's with the continued tin foil hats comments? Not a fan of Coast to Coast anymore since Bell stepped down? And by the way, that goddamn fucking quaratine popup is getting in the way every fucking time I click on something. I'm losing faith in this site, Devin...
Comment #16 (Posted by an unknown user)
yea why would anyone direct a ludlum movie?
paul greengrass, sam peckinpah?
FEH.
Comment #17 (Posted by Devin)
@ masterbrocksamson690
sorry dude I was too busy fantasizing about Dr Manhattans Big Blue cock to mail my mate Cronenburg. He just would of told me to get a real job anyway.
