Paramount has decided to let the rights to graphic novel Torso – which David Fincher has been developing since 2006 – lapse due to worries about the eventual film’s budget.
Yes, even though Fincher has just scored 13 Oscar nominations and more than $100 million in box office with Benjamin Button, the company is just not sure it wants to splash the cash to keep the project in house.
Adapted from Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Adreyko’s graphic novel, Torso should be telling the true story of Eliot Ness’ time after his work fighting Al Capone.
Todd McFarlane
Todd McFarlane was the first person to option it and brought the project to Dimension. But after little progress, producer Don Murphy took it to Bill Mechanic, who roped in Fincher and cut a deal with Paramount.
What does this mean for Torso’s future? Well, Fincher and his producers are still attached and given the success of Button, we’re sure either Paramount will come back around or another studio will snap the title up.
"It's a weird and odd situation," Bendis tells The Hollywood Reporter. "We heard it was greenlit one day, then the next we heard it wasn't. Hopefully, it'll have a happy ending."
Amen to that.
[Source: THR ]