Creature loses director

Last Updated on July 26, 2021

The creature is obviously proud of his junk…

Screenwriter Gary Ross (PLEASANTVILLE, SEABISCUIT) spoke with the folks at Collider recently and had a few things to say about THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON remake that he’s writing – well, that he’s been writing for what seems like forever (it was announced in 2001).

The most interesting info is that Breck Eisner (SAHARA) is no longer attached to the project. In fact, he’s not even mentioned; instead Ross simply says the director “hasn’t been decided yet”, even though Eisner has been associated with CREATURE for years.

Nevertheless, Ross says the project is moving forward, and talked a bit about what the tone is going to be: “It’s not going to be campy. It’s not a reference to what the original was. It’s not reverential that way. We take it seriously. We found some scientific underpinnings for it which my dad actually found in the original. He based it on a lungfish he found around that time, a lot of that was his. We’re not approaching it in a campy, retro sort of way.”

“I don’t think we’re going to wink at the audience or make it silly in anyway, I think we’re going to take it seriously.”

It should be noted that Ross’ father wrote the original CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON, so obviously he has a strong connection to the material and wants to do it with respect. In case you were worried about the man’s credits. (He wrote MR. BASEBALL for Christ’s sake…)