Sometimes it’s hard keeping track of all of Guillermo Del Toro‘s upcoming projects. It’s even harder when half of his projects either get shot down by the studio or because he’s a bit of an “idea” collector, not unlike another fanboy favorite Mr. Quentin Tarantino.
Deadline has an exclusive about a new project that the director has signed on to. The news is that Del Toro and HBO are partnering up to bring Naoki Urasawa’s Manga series Monster to the small screen. Guillermo Del Toro and Steve Thompson (Dr. Who, Sherlock) will work on the story together and Del Toro wants to direct the pilot. The Manga has been adapted before as an animated series that ran in Japan from 2004 to 2005.
The eighteen volume series is about:
Brilliant doctor Kenzo Tenma risks his reputation and promising career to save the life of a critically wounded young boy. Unbeknownst to him, this child is destined for a terrible fate. Conspiracies, serial murders, and a scathing depiction of the underbelly of hospital politics are all masterfully woven together in this compelling manga thriller.
I haven’t read a lot of Manga but I looked into Monster and it could be a very interesting series, especially with HBO and Del Toro teaming up.
Deadline also believes that Guillermo Del Toro has been in contact with Universal about AT THE MOUNTAIN OF MADNESS, his adaptation of the H.P. Lovecraft novella that was called off because the studio was concerned about funding a $150 million R-rated 3D movie. Tom Cruise was set to star in the film and since Universal’s OBLIVION has been a big hit globally the director has apparently approached executives at Universal once again about the adaptation. PACIFIC RIM could be huge for Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures, and if it is they could pick up AT THE MOUNTAIN OF MADNESS if Universal is no longer interested. Del Toro wouldn’t be able to direct it until after he films CRIMSON PEAK with Benedict Cumberbatch, Emma Stone, and Charlie Hunnam, but there is a chance AT THE MOUNTAIN OF MADNESS could still happen.
Guillermo Del Toro‘s PACIFIC RIM is out on July 11, 2013.