Over the course of a mere 6 films, and an abundance of music videos and TV commercials, director David Fincher really established himself as a true visual filmmaker. From the shocking serial killer film Se7en, to the grisly violence of Fight Club, and onto the Hitchcockian trickery of Panic Room. His last film was the obsessive serial killer film Zodiac, and his 7th film will be the epic romantic fantasy The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. However, he's showing no signs of stopping, having shot Zodiac and Benjamin Button back to back, (they were both in production since 2004!!
), it would appear that Fincher is ready to do it again!! He's currently prepping another serial killer film, Torso, (which sounds very similiar to Zodiac), but he has another film on the cards too. He'll be producing this one, but he won't be directing all of it, as it'll be an anthology of stories, with a director attached for each segment of the films, (and he's got some good names attached too!!) Yes, the cult science fiction and fantasy comics magazine Heavy Metal is getting the big screen treatment, in a live-action/animated extravaganza!! It'll be well worth seeing too!!
Little is known about the film at the moment, or what segments will be filmed for the new film version. But, the original comic started publication in April 1977, (it was based on a similiar French comic book entitled
Métal Hurlant), alot of the work done in Heavy Metal were at first translations of stories from the French edition, however, alot of artists came up with their own stories, (one of the artists was H.R. Giger, (best known for Alien)). However, this isn't the first film version based on the works of Heavy Metal, as there was an animated film version made in 1981, produced by Ivan Reitman, and featuring the voices of comedic talent such as John Candy, Harold Ramis and Eugene Levy. It looked good visually, even if the animation was a little ropey in places, but it had a good rock soundtrack by Black Sabbath, Grand Funk Railroad, Devo, Journey, Sammy Hagar, Nazareth, Cheap Trick and Stevie Nicks!!
Fincher has always been a fian of the original comic books and has had aspirations of bringing it to the big screen again, the film was announced in March 2008, whilst Fincher was still in the midst of post-production on Benjamin Button, Paramount Pictures originally picked up the option, (as Fincher has a deal with them at the moment.) However, it soon became apparant that Fincher was going to have a battle in getting this project off the ground. Paramount were non-plussed that it would be R-rated, and they were also pissed off that Fincher was taking so long with completing Benjamin Button. They said,
"Until you step up to do what we want you to do with Benjamin, we're not going to greenlight any other of your movies!!" With that, Fincher took it elsewhere, and has since found a new home for it over at Columbia Pictures, (who released the 1981 version!!
)
With Columbia accepting an R-rated version and also a quite meagre budget of $50 million, Fincher can now bring it to the big screen!! However, he's not alone!!
With Fincher producing the film and directing one of the reported 9 segments in the film, there have been others stepping up to direct the other segments. To direct some of the segments, Fincher has got a hold of some of the best talents working in cinema today!!
He's got Zack Snyder, (300, Watchmen), Gore Verbinski (POTC, The Ring) and, best of all, Guillermo Del Toro to direct a segment each!!
Also, Heavy Metal's publisher and owner Kevin Eastman, (who created Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), will direct a segment. There should be more attached to the project soon, watch this space!!
Some of the original covers for Heavy Metal!!
The poster for the 1981 film version...
Anyone up for this little beauty??
Fincher doesn't make bad films, (yes, even Alien 3, flawed as it is, showcased some of the darkness we would later come to expect from him!!
) His schedule at the moment is chockablock at the moment, as well as Benjamin Button, Torso and this, he is also producing a film version of a comic book called The Goon, and he's also attached to direct films such as Rendezvous With Rama, Black Hole and The Killer. Could we also be seeing a new side to Fincher?? As he's been dabbling in not only lighter material, but also animated films, (he was given a special thanks at the end of WALL•E!!) But for now, it's reassuring to know that he's still busy, and he shows no sign of stopping at the moment!! Let's hope it stays that way!!
