Guillermo del Toro just can’t get a break. After years of problems pushing The Hobbit into production, Universal have just shelved his next directing gig, At The Mountains Of Madness .
Del Toro had been prepping the 3D adaptation of H.P. Lovecraft’s novella with producer James Cameron. But the film’s $150m budget had Universal cowering, and they pulled the plug last Friday.
Instead, they want del Toro to take on PG monster movie Pacific Rim , which is set in a near future where humanity must band together to face malevolent monsters.
Del Toro has yet to make a decision about helming Rim , but Universal are apparently keen to have that as his next project – perhaps as a cheaper test for if they’ll eventually let him make Mountains Of Madness .
Considering the masses of pre-production the director’s already done for his Lovecraft adap – not to mention that it’s in firm ‘passion project’ terrain for him – we’re sure this isn’t the last we’ve heard of Mountains . We can but hope.