Lunatic Kubrick script getting made

Back in 1999, Stanley Kubrick’s son-in-law discovered an 80 page treatment commissioned by the filmmaking maestro entitled Lunatic At Large .

It was found, obviously, after the director’s death, and hence has never been turned into a film. But its chances of finally making it to the big screen are suddenly looking up.

The NY Times then went on to provide an in-depth, fascinating insight into the 2006 script based on Thompson’s treatment, revealing the 1956-set story follows “Johnnie Sheppard, a former carnival worker with serious anger-management issues, and Joyce, a nervous, attractive barfly he picks up in a Hopperesque tavern scene”.

After “a romantic interlude in a spooky, deserted mountain lodge”, the main set piece finds Joyce in a carnival at night, wandering among an Alligator Man, Mule-Faced Woman and Midget Monkey Girl.

We’re assuming that Rockwell is keen on the role of Johnnie (or that Alligator Man?), while Johansson presumably has her eye on Joyce – and we can’t say we blame them. They sound like great roles – and the latter in particular would be perfectly suited to that period.

Fancy some lunatic action? Give us a yell...

Josh Winning has worn a lot of hats over the years. Contributing Editor at Total Film, writer for SFX, and senior film writer at the Radio Times. Josh has also penned a novel about mysteries and monsters, is the co-host of a movie podcast, and has a library of pretty phenomenal stories from visiting some of the biggest TV and film sets in the world. He would also like you to know that he "lives for cat videos..." Don't we all, Josh. Don't we all.