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Del Toro Will Try 'Mountains of Madness' Again, Cruise Still Attached

by Ben Pearson
January 7, 2013
Source: The Playlist

At the Mountains of Madness / Guillermo del Toro

It was a sad day when Universal pulled the plug on Guillermo del Toro's passion project film adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness in 2011. The Hellboy director went on to direct Pacific Rim instead (which hits theaters this year), but right before Ridley Scott's Prometheus came out, he said the similarities it shares with Lovecraft might kill any future attempt to bring At the Mountains of Madness to life. Thankfully, in a new interview with The Playlist, del Toro has changed his mind, and he also revealed that Tom Cruise is still attached to lead the project, which he hopes to get going again soon. More below!

When it was announced that the haunted house film Crimson Peak would be del Toro's next directorial effort (not to be confused with the Disney remake of The Haunted Mansion that's reportedly still in the works), we found out that the visionary director was hoping that Legendary Pictures might step up and finance/produce At the Mountains of Madness depending on the success of Pacific Rim. But in this new interview with The Playlist, he says that he's actually casting a wider net to search for a home for the film:

"I'm going to try it one more time. Once more into the dark abyss. We're gonna do a big presentation of the project again at the start of the year and see if any [studio's] interested...Yeah, Tom [Cruise] is still attached. I think it would be so fantastic to make it with him. He's been such a great ally of the project."

We're not going to get ahead of ourselves and get too excited for this just yet, but it's undoubtedly a good sign that del Toro has a new pitch ready and is giving studios another opportunity to get involved with this. Hopefully with the good buzz coming from Pacific Rim (another project that's huge in scope) and the consistent support from sites like ours that we actually do want to see At the Mountains of Madness, maybe someone will actually give the man a chance to direct his dream film and complete a movie he's been wanting to make for decades. And having Tom Cruise still on board throwing his weight around can't hurt.

As for that pesky Prometheus comparison, del Toro doesn't seem bothered by it anymore after seeing film:

"I saw it finally and.. yes, there are things in common, but, you know, screw it. Lovecraft was there first."

Glad to hear that the jovial director has regained some confidence and momentum after a few underwhelming years. Based on how well Pacific Rim is tracking (at least with the buzz I've been hearing), it seems likely that Warner Bros. and Legendary will be the ones who end up financing this adaptation. I could easily see this being a "one for them, one for me" type of relationship with the studio, and if Pacific Rim - a movie that del Toro himself said was the "best experience [he's] ever had making a movie - is the "one for them," then this could be an awesome partnership that produces some truly epic films from del Toro.

Filed under Development, Movie News

From around the web:

OfficialJab

Please. Please. Do it. Can't Toro, Cruise and a couple producer buddies largely foot it themselves? How significant of a studio contribution do they need? It was mostly because the studios refused to let them make it rated R for the budget necessary, but they refused to make it anything less, right? That's what I originally read.
- http://www.facebook.com/matt.peloquin.14 Matt Peloquin
  
  Ask the Wachowskis...
DAVIDPD

Yeah! It will live!
Isildur_of_Numenor

Good, promising news.
- Scopedog
  
  Yep. Hoping he can get it done, and also hoping that PACIFIC RIM can kick all sorts of @$$.
  - Isildur_of_Numenor
    
    Fingers double crossed.
http://twitter.com/dckl13 David Kinskey-Lebeda

Oh please let this be made one day soon!
Renovatio430

Does anyone know if James Cameron is still attached to produce???
- David Banner
  
  Was about to ask that myself
armeetapus16

"Lovecraft was there first" this is why Del Toro is my favorite filmmaker
Vole_tron

I was excited about this until I read that Cruise was involved.
- Vincent
  
  Hes a legend and one of the greatest movie star of all time !!!!!!!!!!!!!
  - http://twitter.com/AaronHawryluk Aaron Hawryluk
    
    You keep saying that, and people keep not agreeing with you.
Xerxexx

nice.
avi

a studio needs to make money to pay there personel and invest in new projects! Not every movie is a succes and the one they do must cover the cost for others... Onley a big name atracts people to the cinema and not a big director or it should be James Cameron! The Mountains of madness is a difficult story to sell and with a r rating and no happy ending virtually impossible! The studios are right this time and give del toro no money!
Nick

Why doesn't he just quit whining, he's not a bad film maker but all he does is whoa-is-me, this and that got cancelled. There are some truly bananas movies out there that got made and continue to grow in popularity. Why can't this "genius visionary" make his most beloved project of all time, especially with a track record of well liked, well received movies? Shit, or get off that pot buddy. Look at that hound dog face in the picture, he's so sad, maybe Hell Boy 3 will make him feel better, maybe he should "Present" another meh horror something from some place. Use your money and famous person powers and get this movie made, or don't, just DO something.
Josh H

Do Mass Effect!
Cody W

YES!!!! DONT GIVE UP!...this movie has the potential to be true scary ass horror.
GonderBeGreat

DO IT!! DO IT YES YES YES !!! DO IT !!!
TommyTheGreenRanger

Shame that tom cruise is attached to star. I thought Del Toro was smarter than that. Lost a little respect for him.
- OfficialJab
  
  He's a case-by-case. He's not bad, just not for everyone. I like Tom a lot.
  - TommyTheGreenRanger
    
    It's not just that Tom is a bad actor some times or an annoying personality the past two decades. Tom is a celebrity advertisement tool for a cult. If tom dropped the psycho cult I would have no problem with him.
    - Cody W
      
      O yeah right because you see him talking about his beliefs all the time? Come on, Tom Cruise is hit and miss but you cant deny hes had the lead roles in A LOT of great movies. I honestly think people just hate on him because they thinks its the cool thing to do.
    - OfficialJab
      
      I never hear about his beliefs. Except when other people insist on bringing them up unprompted when they hear his name.
      - Scopedog
        
        True. And frankly, I do not give a flying fig about Cruise's religious beliefs or background. They don't matter to me--it's only his acting in his films that do.
      - thechillerdewd
        
        True... same goes for Mel Gibson. I don't give a shit who actors are in their private life...I guess even the actors I really like are sometimes douche bags.
    - Carmen13
      
      Your an idiot.
      - LovecraftRules
        
        you're the idiot; Tom Cruise in Top Gun is ok. Not in a Lovecraft inspired movie. If you're not able to understand this.... The movie would benefit greatly from having only unknown or at least actors known only for back up roles. Tom Cruise is not a good choice for a dark piece of horror like that. This would inevitably put the movie in a kind of mainstream category. We definitely don't need this when it comes to seeing the work of the Great Master on screen.
      - TeraBat
        
        Unless he gets by a shoggoth. Then it's cool.
    - Vincent
      
      3 oscar noms dumbass, get your facts right, bad actor my ass!!!!!!!!!
      - Sigivald
        
        "A bad actor sometimes" is not contradicted by Oscar nominations. Hell, a nomination doesn't mean you were ever good.
- Vincent
  
  Hes a legend and one of the greatest movie star of all time !!!!!!!!!!!!!
- thechillerdewd
  
  watch Jerry Maguire...
David Banner

FFS, some coke-sniffing moron green lights Battleship, but not this?? Btw, could someone please make(or link if it exists) an infograph of all projects del Toro has been involved in in the past and plans/hopes to make in the future? Seems like so many last 4, 5 years, and most get shutdown?
- Cody W
  
  Well the guy takes on like 20 projects and expects to be able to do them all in a 3 year period...I imagine a lot of studios and producers dont take him very seriously.
dude

i recommend the graphic novel. buy it on amazon. get ready for the film!!
- where's my car
  
  I recommend the actual book .You can get it at your local library.If you still have those.Or just buy it on amazon.It's worth the money.Then maybe get the comic.
  - David Banner
    
    All Lovecraft's works published before 1923 are public domain in the U.S.
Jericho

ANY DEITY OR ALL POWERFUL ALIEN THAT IS AT LEAST PASSING BY THIS PLANET, PLEASE MAKE THIS HAPPEN!!!!!
http://www.facebook.com/people/Jim-Dawkins/100002207329301 Jim Dawkins

Yes ..yes yes.
D6

Oh, thank Cthulhu for this! Hope this gets made!
LovecraftRules

you're all idiots; Tom Cruise in Top Gun is ok. Not in a Lovecraft inspired movie. If you're not able to understand this.... The movie would benefit greatly from having only unknown or at least actors known only for back up roles. Tom Cruise is not a good choice for a dark piece of horror like that. This would inevitably put the movie in a kind of mainstream category. We definitely don't need this when it comes to seeing the work of the Great Master on screen.
Someguyudontknow

I would just like to say that if this movie gets made i will personally watch it 5 times and buy the blu-ray. And personally drag everyone of my friends to it with me. If anyone can adapt Lovecraft for theaters it has to be Guillermo De Toro.
Bob

Yes please! No more shitty holldwood corporate eyeball shitfests... let Del Torro make a REAL movie based on REAL writing!
http://www.facebook.com/tim.evans.773 Tim Evans

I'd love to see Del Toro make this, but on the other hand, I hope he doesn't waste half his life vainly trying to get the big studios to produce it, when he could be making wonderful lower-budget films like Pan's Labyrinth or The Devil's Backbone.
Saint Eligius

Nooooo! Not Cruise! NO, NO, NO, NO!
Rick

Balls, I am a big fan of Lovecraft but I will not support films with Cruise attached to them. Are there no other capable and willing actors in Hollywood? I guess I will sit this one out.
http://www.facebook.com/WEREHOLD Jason Mills

Del Toro, maybe you should turn to kick starter to finance a short trailer and try to net with that?
http://www.facebook.com/people/Neal-Swarbrick/548380545 Neal Swarbrick

FFS! NOT Tom Cruise! You've already ruined the film if he's in it!!
JimDesu

I don't get to see movies in the theatre any more, but this would be an exception -- I'd find a babysitter to be able to see it.
TeraBat

At first I was all, "Mountains of Madness, yaaay!" And then I was all, "Tom Cruise? Ewwwww." But then I was all, "I can watch Tom Cruise get eaten by a shoggoth!" And then I was all "Yaaaaaaaay!!!"
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1605257958 Natalie Daniels

I wish Del Toro would get it through his head. Cruise needs to go away, period. If he's still involved a lot of us just won't care if the project burns out like a sheet of rice paper. Let dead mules lie.
Desperation_Jones

Pacific Rim will melt your brain with its sheer awesomeness. Fact.
http://www.facebook.com/alex.rude Alex Rude

Lovecraft and Del Torro together can only mean greatness. But Tom Cruise will undoubtedly make this unwatchable. Anyone but Cruise please. Maybe Depp?