Del Toro Directing ‘Hobbit’, ‘Frankenstein’, ‘Jekyll’ and More
Director has his slate set through 2017
If you were hoping for a Hellboy 3 you better keep dreaming because if that were to ever come to fruition it wouldn’t be until 2018 or even later. Guillermo del Toro is committed to working on the two-part film adaptation of The Hobbit for the next five years and in a multi-picture deal with Universal the following four years and perhaps longer are already booked up as well.
Variety reports del Toro is set to helm remakes of Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Slaughterhouse-Five for Universal as well as a film adaptation of the Dan Simmons novel “Drood”, which is set to be published in February 2009. Of the bunch Universal anticipates Drood to be del Toro’s first post-Hobbit pic, which would mean it would hit theaters some time around 2017 or 2018.
“Drood” is a novel in which author Dan Simmons supposes that survival from a catastrophic train crash changed author Charles Dickens, plunging him into the depths of London depravity and possibly turning him to murder before he wrote his final novel, “The Mystery of Edwin Drood.” Universal president Donna Langley said, “It’s the fantasy and gothic horror world Guillermo finds comfortable. It feels like a great fit for where (we expect) Guillermo will have evolved as a filmmaker five years from now.”
As for Frankenstein del Toro told Variety the story “represents the essential human question: ‘Why did my creator throw me here, unprotected, unguided, unaided and lost?’ With that one, they will have to pry it from my cold dead hands to prevent me from directing it.”
Guillermo says this because on top of directing these four films for Universal he will also be in the producer’s role with titles such as David Moody’s apocalyptic novel “Hater” and “Crimson Peak,” a gothic romance spec script by del Toro and his Mimic collaborator Matthew Robbins, which del Toro will produce but not direct.
Fans of del Toro will also recognize the title At the Mountains of Madness an adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft’s story which del Toro has talked about for years and apparently Universal has set its sights on that pic as well. Also, while I say a Hellboy 3 may take a long time to hit theaters the Variety article does mention the possibility of it being made. When? I have no idea how it could be fit into the schedule.
“I think they’ll decide when the last euro hits the piggybank,” del Toro said. “We laid the groundwork to have a magnificent third act. I’d like to return to an action franchise with 60-year-old actor Ron Perlman, because he’ll be scratching at that age when I get to it.”
A 60-year-old Perlman would suggest a 2010 production, which won’t happen, Perlman would be damn near 70 by the time del Toro would have time in his schedule for the Red Devil’s return.
Thinking back to my article “Who is the Most Overrated Director?” I have to ask if any of you think Guillermo del Toro is overrated. As much as I look forward to a del Toro feature I must say I don’t think he is the end-all-be-all so many think he is.
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