Lars von Trier goes sci-fi with PLANET MELANCHOLIA
I’m really excited to see ANTICHRIST, the latest film by Danish director Lars von Trier. Von Trier is currently promoting the film, which will see its U.S. release soon, but it seems he already has his eye on his next project, the psychological disaster drama PLANET MELANCHOLIA.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, von Trier will write and direct the English-language film, which has a budget of about $7 million dollars. It is to begin shooting in 2010 and casting is currently in progress. Variety reports that “Planet Melancholia is an enormous planet…that looms threateningly close to Earth” and is calling the film MELANCHOLIA.
Whatever the name of the film, two things are guaranteed; there is to be no happy ending and the film will not be an alien invasion movie.
The Hollywood Reporter article cites Roland Emmerich as a possible genre inspiration and the film’s producer Peter Aalbaek Jensen “has promised a mix of spectacular, cinematic imagery with Dogme-style handheld camerawork — a combination seen in ANTICHRIST.” “As a disaster movie, MELANCHOLIA will use some special effects, but nothing compared to Hollywood,” Jensen said in the Variety article.
PLANET MELANCHOLIA will begin shooting in Germany and Sweden next summer and is expected to see a release at Cannes 2011. As you can see, there is not much to go on here, but we will keep you posted as more information is released.
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