Now here's a trade announcement that yanked me out of my sleep like state of news browsing today and immediately caught my interest, mainly because it's exactly the kind of classic
David Cronenberg picture that made him one of the most creative film-makers of the 1980's. After hitting
script trouble with his adaptation of Robert Ludlum's The Matarese Circle(which was to be his first Summer blockbuster, and set to star Tom Cruise and Denzel Washington), Cronenberg has decided that his next picture will be an adaptation of Don DeLillo's 2003 novel
Cosmopolis. The novel follows a 28 year old billionaire fund manager who rides a limo on his way to get a haircut, but his journey becomes long when the car hits numerous traffic jams, a funeral cortege and riots. We find out that he is cheating on his partner and he has a paranoia that someone is trying to kill him. From the sounds of things, the novel is mostly set within the limo and takes place over a 24 hour period. Ok, now reading the plot... it does sound like the worst idea for a movie since
Colin Farrell spent a whole movie in a
Phone Booth but I gotta say, under Cronenberg's helmsmanship... this could have the makings of something special. After two excellent, more mainstream pictures with
A History of Violence and
Eastern Promises, this project would firmly see Cronenberg return to his experimental, psychological character driven best. Maybe a return to some body gore too?The Hollywood Reporter say Cronenberg will film
Cosmopolis in New York and Toronto next year.