Are you one of those people who long for quality Richard Matheson films to hit the big screen? This may be your lucky day. Matheson and his son are working to update his classic novel THE SHRINKING MAN, for MGM. The project is described as “an existential action movie” and will be the biggest Matheson movie since Will Smith‘s I AM LEGEND.
Previously filmed in 1957 as THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN, the story centers on a man who is exposed to radiation and insecticide and begins to shrink. The Mathesons will modernize the story to reflect advancements such as nanotechnology.
Metheson had this to say about the new version:
“My original story was a metaphor for how man’s place in the world was diminishing. That still holds today, where all these advancements that are going to save us will be our undoing.”
Universal owned the rights for years and was unable to remake it. Looking at the movies about shrunken people have not had that great of a run since the 1950s. HONEY, I SHRUNK THE KIDS and INNERSPACE remain the lone box office succeses which have always been limited by special effects that could not realistically portray the world from the point of view of an ant.
The Mathesons will produce the film as well through their new company Matheson Entertainment. The classic science fiction author has so many great works, lets hope this is the first step in bringing them all to the movie screen.