Paramount may have let the rights to the David Fincher project, “Torso,” lapse recently, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the film based on a graphic novel about famous “Untouchables,” Chicago cop Eliot Ness is in jeopardy.
Producer Bill Mechanic (who was an integral force in getting “Fight Club” to the screen) told MTV News that the adaptation of Brian Michael Bendis’ comic is still moving forward, with or without Paramount’s involvement.
Fincher is still evidently attached and Mechanic believes Paramount will eventually shepherd the film to the big screen. “We want them to make the movie and I think they want to make it. Cool heads will prevail and hopefully it’ll get started pretty quickly. If they don’t make it, somebody will. I’m focused on making the picture.”
“Cool heads will prevail?” Does that mean, Fincher is still beefing with Paramount? Perhaps it’s a money issue? ‘Benjamin Button’ is reportedly barely going to break even. Mechanic hints that rights are evidently “more complicated” than just lapsed ownership rights. Whatever that means. But with a project like this in at least semi-limbo (which seems fair to say), it’s probably likely that potential stars like Matt Damon and Casey Affleck will only be on board if their schedules link up with the if and when.
Two words: Warner and Brothers.
It’s still happening. I can feel it.
Let’s hope so, i think this would be perfect for him. Much moreso than Button or Chef.
The only problem I see is that the script is still owned by Paramount. I think there is some obvious bad blood between Fincher and the Paramount executives so I don’t know if they’ll change their mind. If he does take it to Warner (or somewhere else), they’re going to have to re-write the script.
Either way, I don’t think it’s happening in the near future.
That’s probably why Fincher was joking about “sleeping” for a few months in that Guardian interview.
BTW, Benjamin Button is actually doing very well abroad (it’s only begun opening in the major markets in the last week or so), so when all the numbers finally come in it’ll probably break even or even make a small profit, as it’s now widely expected to make $300+ million worldwide.
Did you ever think you’d see the day when a film would make $300+ million at the box office, earn 13 Oscar nominations and the director still end up in the studio doghouse?
He must have really pissed them off, huh?
“Did you ever think you’d see the day when a film would make $300+ million at the box office, earn 13 Oscar nominations and the director still end up in the studio doghouse?”
right??