Today, we've learned that Lionsgate is launching the development of a movie based on Oscar Wilde's 1890 novel THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY with Anne Erin "Annie" Clark better known by her stage name St. Vincent at the helm. But wait, there's more! As part of St. Vincent's vision, the classic Victorian tale of a decadent and perverse man whose self-portrait ages while he stays eternally youthful will feature a female lead for a gender-bending yarn of lust and love eternal.
Annie Clark, a.k.a. St. Vincent, who made her filmmaking debut at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival with her short "Birthday Party," will direct the feature while David Birke is poised to write the script. If Birke's name sounds familiar, that's because he wrote the Paul Verhoeven thriller ELLE, in addition to co-writing the forthcoming SLENDER MAN horror film for Screen Gems.
The story of Dorian Gray has been told several times in our cinematic history. Granted, you can find most of those films in the bargain bin at your local Wal-Mart or whatever, but there's no doubt that Oscar Wilde's sordid tale of undying sin can make for a new and impactful film. Actually, I'm listening to St. Vincent's 2015 self-titled album right now, and I'm really digging it. Her music sounds to me like a cross-pollination of tUnE-yArDs, Bjork, and Amanda Palmer. It might be worth you giving her a listen, if only to get an inkling of how eccentric she is, and how her eclectic artistic vision could be viewed as an asset for the making of a great film.
THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY has no release date as of yet, but you can check out the music of St. Vincent via Spotify, iTunes, or your local music retailer (if you can find one).
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