Image credit: Jeffrey Mayer/WireImage.com
“Madness has gone dark. The ‘R’ did us in.” With that short email message to a writer at The New Yorker magazine, director Guillermo del Toro confirmed today that At the Mountains of Madness, his long-planned and highly anticipated adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft’s classic horror novella, is dead in the water. Del Toro had been trying for months to get his dream project—the story of a group of scientists who encounter an ancient race of deadly alien creatures while on an expedition in Antarctica—greenlit at Universal. But, despite the fact that James Cameron was on board to produce and Tom Cruise was loosely attached to star, the studio apparently balked at the idea of making a big-budget 3-D horror film, deeming the project’s hefty $150 million price tag, combined with del Toro’s insistence on making the film R-rated, too big a gamble. With Madness shelved for now, del Toro is being courted to direct a PG-13 monster movie called Pacific Rim for Legendary Pictures. “Stay tuned,” a source close to the project tells EW, hinting that an announcement could come at any time. As for Madness, its future is unclear. With a trio of heavy hitters like del Toro, Cameron, and Cruise behind it—and fanboys already starting an online petition to get the project greenlit—it’s possible the film might eventually find a home at another studio. “It could still happen,” a source close to the film says hopefully. “I want to see it.” But, for now at least, it seems that a big-budget R-rated 3-D horror film like Madness is just too big a mountain for Hollywood to climb.
UPDATE: Del Toro has confirmed to Deadline that Pacific Rim will indeed be his next film. It will begin shooting in September.
What a shame. I guess the studio realized they couldn’t make extra money off the unrated director’s cut.
first hobit now mountains… he’s not doin’ too well. time to flog the dead horse that is hellboy guil. or maybe make another fantasy movie that is exactly like very other movie you’ve ever done. some sewers, a couple typewriters maybe a social misfit… boom. another del toro original.
Weak comment.
Then he should just make it artsy and in 2D. That would be fun to watch. And cheap.
Just do Hellboy 3, then I will be happy.
Exactly! WE WANT HELLBOY 3!
Exactly Nick – weren’t the Hellboy pics made on a relatively cheap budget? They weren’t the BEST effects, but they were good movies and have he got to be creative. Get rid of over the top James Cameron and that moron Tom Cruise.
sorry for that extra “have” in there…….
Lose the 3D and Tom Cruise, they’re both unnecessary and surely add to the budget.
Awwww, poor EW. The director they gush over for whatever reason cant do anything anymore. he falied LOTR, now this.
You’re not even a good troll. How did he fail LOTR?
If you think his movies suck, that says a lot more about you than it does EW.
Your comment sounds foolish… Failed LOTR? I don’t get it.
I agree that they should get rid of Cruise:
1. He hasn’t been able to get moviegoers to theaters to bring in profits. Skip him.
2. Make it in 2D.
I was really looking forward to this. Everything about it sounds amazing and Guillermo del Toro can do no wrong. I am very surprised they were concerned about the hefty price tag, especially with the name James Cameron attached.
That’s a shame. I agree with people saying that the 3D should be shelved and Cruise passed over for someone cheaper (and probably more likable). Lovecraft has quite the cult following, and with del Toro’s credentials … I don’t think the R rating is the death knell the studio think. But given what studios keep pumping out, it doesn’t surprise me how tone-deaf they are.
I can’t believe Universal passed on this. What idiots.
So Universal didn’t want to take a chance on this, yet they gave the greenlight to last year’s The Wolfman, which also has a $150 million budget. I mean, is The Wolfman’s failure the reason they don’t want to go ahead with this?
of course they won’t take the chance. it would have failed. nerds can’t have nice things.
Damn. I was looking forward to this more than any other movie I can think of – except maybe Prometheus, but if I had to chose between the two, I’d go with Mountains of Madness.
Given all the $$$$ Cameron has at his disposal i though they would take the chance, damn it.