The most memorable David Cronenberg films have always been the ones he scripts himself. The man’s perceptions come out on paper in a way that is rivaled by no one. But the last feature script that came wholly from his head was eXistenZ, written a decade ago. Detractors would say, based on the movie’s weird structure and off-kilter feel, that he’s better off working from other writers’ pages these days. Currently, the Robert Ludlum estate agrees.
The decade-long draught of fully original Cronenberg material has me excited that he’s writing a novel. At the Rome Film Festival the director said he’s written sixty pages so far, and that based on that work he’s had significant publisher interest. “It’s at a very delicate phase right now, so I can’t really talk about
it. It’s not like Stephen King, I don’t know what it’s like but you
wouldn’t call it a horror or science fiction novel at all. But what it
is exactly, well, I don’t know yet.” His inability to describe the book is currently the most interesting thing about it; makes it sound perfectly true to form.
5 comments
I'm picking this up day one. This is probably the beginning of his new career as an author. Can't wait for a slew of shitty movie adaptations based on his writings :-p
How much time before another Cronenberg movie..?
It's not that I'm against Cronenberg trying new things, but I was really hoping that first paragraph was leading up to the announcement that he's finally working on another self-scripted movie.
Very interesting. He's always said he was more influenced originally by fiction writers (Philip K. Dick, Nabokov) than other filmmakers. He originally PLANNED on being a novelist. What's the most interesting thing to me is that he's waited this long.
I wish more aging screenwriters/filmmakers tried their hand at a novel. Worst case scenario, it gets their creative juices flowing. Still, I hope he's not to successful at this–don't want him quiting his day job!
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