By It’s been seven years since Canadian horror master David Cronenberg gave us Maps to the Stars, his brutal Hollywood drama and most recent feature film, though word is out that production will begin on his new feature, Crimes of the Future, this summer.
Interestingly, Crimes of the Future is the same title as that of Cronenberg’s 1970 film, in which a freak line of skin-care products wipe out the female population, leaving a stunned dermatologist in pursuit of his mentor, a madman who’s somehow linked to the plague. Crimes of the Future was Cronenberg’s second feature film, after 1969’s Stereo, and from that description alone, I think, indicative of how long the iconic filmmaker’s work has meditated on bizarre, freakish twistings and turnings of human bodies and social what-ifs. It’s a sign of what was to come for Cronenberg, and available to stream on YouTube through an unofficial upload.
But as for Cronenberg’s upcoming project, it’s unclear whether the film is a remake of the 1970 Crimes of the Future, a reimagining, or something altogether new. Viggo Mortensen revealed that he’d be reteaming with his Eastern Promises and A Dangerous Method director for the new film, calling it a “strange film noir story.” Further details are vague, though producer Robert Lantos confirmed the production was aiming for a summer shoot in Athens, Greece, calling the city the “perfect setting for Crimes Of The Future.”
Whatever Cronenberg’s new film may wind up being, it’s terrific to see him back in action. With as great a film as Maps to the Stars was, clearly the prolific filmmaker whose earliest works are more than 50 years old still has some dark and interesting stories to tell. For more news on Crimes of the Future, stay tuned.
Source: The Film Stage