I did not expect to see a negative side to Ridley Scott’s PROMETHEUS, but apparently this is it.
According to Guillermo Del Toro, PROMETHEUS is the direct and likely culprit for the demise of AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS, based on the H.P. Lovecraft Cthulhu mythos novel. Speaking on the message board of his official website (how cool is that?), Del Toro had this to say.
Prometheus started filming a while ago- right at the time we were in preproduction on PACIFIC RIM. The title itself gave me pause- knowing that ALIEN was heavily influenced by Lovecraft and his novella.
This time, decades later with the budget and place Ridley Scott occupied, I assumed the greek metaphor alluded at the creation aspects of the HPL book. I believe I am right and if so, as a fan, I am delighted to see a new RS science fiction film, but this will probably mark a long pause -if not the demise- of ATMOM.
The sad part is- I have been pursuing ATMOM for over a decade now- and, well, after HELLBOY II two projects I dearly loved were not brought to fruition for me.
The good part is: One project did… And I am loving it and grateful for the blessings I have received.
So then the question obviously comes up: what about PROMETHEUS prevents AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS from being filmed? Del Toro explained:
Same premise. Scenes that would be almost identical. Both movies seem to share identical set pieces and the exact same BIG REVELATION (twist) at the end. I won’t spoil it.
I have not read AT THE MOUNTAINS OF MADNESS in years, but from what I do remember, this is awesome news. If you have never read the Lovecraft novel you may want to hold off until after PROMETHEUS is released. To me, this is the most ringing endorsement possible for Ridley Scott’s film. Hopefully we may see Del Toro return to the material in a few years, but until then we can hold out for PACIFIC RIM.
The comment section exists to allow readers to discuss the article constructively and respectfully, focused on the topic at hand.
What’s Not Allowed