Nordling here.
Deadline has a terrific interview with Guillermo Del Toro, and in that interview Del Toro expresses his disappointment in not getting the go ahead for AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS, but he seems in good spirits, considering his PACIFIC RIM is definitely going to happen. Del Toro stated,"The idea is unequivocally to start shooting in September. The terms of that will become public very soon, but the idea is to get behind the camera this year."
There may be multiple reasons behind the decision at Universal to not go ahead with the film - possibly the budget, possibly the rating. He hasn't been in very much contact with the studio since the decision. "Frankly, I am as puzzled as most people are. One of the biggest, biggest points for me with this movie was the scope and the R, going hand in hand."
I understand both Harry's viewpoint and Drew's on this one. I would have loved to have seen this film happen, and according to Del Toro, "I think we’ve come so close with Mountains that to me it’s an indicator of the great possibility we will get to make it, as soon as possible. As long as the idea stays fresh and no one beats me to it, in terms of the origins of the monsters, the scope and the aspect of Antarctica where these creatures are discovered, I will continue to press forward. I’m knocking on wood." So he still has hope that the film will happen sometime in the future. So do I. I don't know how successful a dark horror epic like AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS would be, but at the level of power that Del Toro wants to make it - "The only think I know about Mountains is, I do not want it to be bloody, I do not want it to be crass, but I want it to be as intense as possible." - I don't think his vision should be compromised in any way. When it comes to dream projects like this, say, Peter Jackson's LOTR, or Spielberg's CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, I think it's always best for studios to try their hardest to step out of the way of the filmmakers and trust them. But at the same time, I understand the trepidations of a studio in rough economic shape not to be ready to take that leap quite yet. Obviously we'll be following this as much as we can. Check out the Q&A in the meantime, and I know that Guillermo Del Toro is one of our greatest fantasy filmmakers and he'll land on his feet after all of this. Think of it this way - we're getting a monster movie from Del Toro. It may not be the one we want yet, but we're getting one, and that's cool news indeed.
Nordling, out.
