Some genre filmmakers don’t survive their first studio-financed bomb; Neil Marshall, on the other hand, just followed up the resounding rejection of Doomsday with his second studio greenlight in as many weeks.
Last week brought news of the western/H.P. Lovecraft hybrid Sacrilege, but that film may have to wait if the proposed star of Marshall’s new project, an adaptation of James Sallis’s noir-ish thriller Drive, is ready to get in gear (‘cuz it’s about cars and stuff!) after he’s finished with Wolverine. Marshall may be booking work like a reduced-budget Ridley Scott at the moment, but it’s not like he can tell Hugh Jackman to work around his schedule; besides, Universal’s probably a tad more bullish on a no-nonsense car chase movie than Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Cthulhu.
Much as I’d love to see the Great Old One roping steer and shooting up a saloon, I’m totally cool with Marshall expanding on the final portion of Doomsday. In fact, if he’s just going to be paying homage to his favorite directors for the rest of his career, it sounds like Drive could be the perfect Walter Hill tribute. The premise concerns “a Hollywood stunt driver who moonlights as a getaway car driver in heists”; futz with that plot a little, and you’ve got a remake of The Driver on your hands. Hell, even if you don’t do a straight-up remake, it’d still be a nice gesture to give Ryan O’Neal a cameo.
I’m not familiar with Sallis’s work, but I’m sure CHUD’s resident mystery maven, Cameron Hughes, has devoured the author’s work. Anyone else read this guy?
According to Marshall, he hopes to be shooting Drive this summer.
9 comments
You mean to tell me that for once someone with actual TALENT will be failing upwards in Hollywood……………as opposed to the usual hacks that manage to? Kick-ass!!! So we've got not one, but possibly TWO Marshall flicks hitting screens in 2009? That just made my day.
Oh, and before anyone else beats me to it, let's just go ahead and laugh right now about it. Aside from being a massive film nut and obvious car chase fan, we all know the real reason Neil signed onto this one……………..the title starts with a "D". Has any other director done four films in a row that started with the same letter before (not counting A, An, and The)?
I'm happy forr Marshall. Doomsday rocks. Universal is fucking schizophrenic though. Maybe he'll manage to make them greenlight a Doomsday sequel too (which would be something I'd definetely pay to see). 🙂
As for this Walter HIll homage…I'm definetely game.
I look forward to seeing Doomsday on DVD, I just don't have time to get to the theater right now. I think it'll do great numbers on DVD. Perhaps develop its own little DVD following like Boondock Saints did (I know the opinion of that film around here is low, but I'm just using it as an example).
Oh Zachra, don't try and distance yourself from your unabashed love of Boondock Saints. We all know about this torrid affair you've had going on for years and nothing you can say will convince us otherwise. You sicken us. You sicken ALL of us.
I enjoyed Doomsday, but it really amazes me the kind of crap Universal puts out – they must make a killing overseas, which would explain why they've not yet been bankrupted by every bomb they've dropped in the states.
I like that Jackman doesn't just chase large profile movies by the big "name" directors, and will instead do something with a director a little more untested (box office wise) like Aronofsky or Marshall. And no, I am not comparing the two. Marshall will probably never have a Fountain in him, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. As to Drive, the concept at least sounds easier to market than anything else Marshall has done.
So I believe I've managed to glean from this that Hugh Jackman will be starring? This article could benefit from some editing.
You killed on this one, Beaks! LOL!
I think we all love Marshall because he seems to love the same suff we do. Still, he could be a little less blatant with his homages(My one beef with THE DESCENT & DOOMSDAY). I wish him well, and , yeah, I'll so be there to enjoy his take on THE DRIVER!
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