Full disclosure: At the Mountains of Madness is sitting on my to-read pile. I’m not nearly as familiar with H.P. Lovecraft as I should be. I beg your patience on that, and also your commentary on this.
According to MTV News and James Cameron, Tom Cruise is interested in joining Guillermo del Toro’s At the Mountains of Madness. No deal has been signed, but they are hoping to close one soon. According to Cameron, Cruise “does want to do the picture” and they hope to shoot in June or July.
I assume Cruise wants to play the role of William Dyer, the geologist who makes the horrifying discovery in Antarctica.
The world has made Cruise a punching bag (and I’ve made those jokes too), but I can’t say I hate this casting. Again, I’ve only glanced at the first pages of this, but Dyer and his team are supposed to be normal American scientists. It’s their normalcy that makes their discovery all the more horrifying and twisted. You can’t exactly cast Crispin Glover. An expedition into horror can’t begin with faces that immediately make you uncomfortable.
Seeing all-American Cruise pitted against the Elder Things might be exactly what this story requires. All this requires of him is tricks and wiles to escape — and he’s good at dodging stuff — and an ability to look absolutely aghast. I think this might be all right.
I trust del Toro. He knows how to cast.
But I’ll hand this over to you, though. I imagine you have a Dyer in mind, whereas I only know him from a brief look and eager retellings by the Lovecraft fans I know.
12 comments
I can live with this. This movie, if done properly, the way GDT hypes it to be done, is destined for greatness. It just works on every level for me.
del Toro is aces in my book. Anything that puts this flick on the fast track is awesome.
If it helps get the movie made, and Cruise/Cameron don’t fuck GDT around, I have no problem with this.
I like it. I could see Adrien Brody in the part just as easily, but Cruise gives it legitimate blockbuster status and movie star wattage.
I can dig it.
Not exactly “old news” but GDT has been vocal about wanting to get Cruise AND James McAvoy as the lead characters for this. Cruise is a decent actor when handled properly, in spite of whatever craziness goes on in his personal life. I have faith he’ll work well in this.
nah, I rather see Arnold back, and in the lead role… and when the monsters appear, he’s gets his machine gun ON….
Yeah, while Cruises’ movies can be hit and miss, he himslef has never really turned in a disappointing performance. And with filmmakers like these, he’ll most likely do the best he can.
Cruise’s personal life has nothing to do with his acting- he can act quite well. I can see him doing this.
This is very good news. Cruise is more than competent in both drama and action, and his involvement will definitely ensure a larger gross for the film. Anything that moves HPL and Cthulhu closer to mainstream notoriety is a good thing, as long as the property is handled correctly as I trust del Toro to do. Will be eager to see what other casting transpires on this one.
Cruise better start growing his beard.
I thought he was already married to one…
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