I'm wondering why people are advocating Del Toro for a Lovecraft film... I've seen some of his work, and he's good, but Lovecraft?

-Renegade (August 04, 2013, 10:23 AM)

It wouldn't make any more sense to to Hellboy like Lovecraft than to do Pan's Labyrinth like Hellboy. A lot of the design elements just made me think he was a fan. Since At The Mountains Of Madness is his dream project that seems right.

Have you seen The Devil's Backbone? It's a ghost story, so not exactly the same, but between that, Hellboy, and Pan's Labyrinth I'm satisfied he can do it. He hasn't put them together in a single film but he hasn't done Lovecraft yet. Given how giddy he is about it and his refusal to do it unless he gets to make it right he's probably our best shot at this point. Based on what he's said, though, it's a very long shot.

I think however the best for it right now might be Chris Columbus if the whole look and feel of the first Harry Potter movie was anything to go by. Especially for Lovecraft's "Dunsanian" fantasies like Ex Oblivione or Hypnos. Although the noir vibe Zack Snyder does so well (Watchmen etc.) could work too with Lovecraft's darker mythos tales such as The Shadow over Innsmouth, The Shadow Out of Time, or At the Mountains of Madness.

-40hz (August 04, 2013, 09:37 AM)

Columbus would be an interesting choice. Before the Harry Potter movies I dismissed him as a second rate hack. In retrospect he was just stuck with a bunch of third rate movies. The first Harry Potter movie completely surprised me for just that reason. Chamber of Secrets made me a believer.

I'd still take Del Toro though. I think the biggest challenge to putting Lovecraft on the screen (big or small) is sustaining the creepy feel and IMO he's the master. The Devil's Backbone and Pan's Labyrinth are both full of that.

I hadn't thought about it much until I read Stephen King's book, On Writing, but the other big challenge is the lack of dialog. King was actually mentioning it as a positive by pointing out Lovecraft didn't like people so he was wise to avoid it. Even if you could pull that off - and it's not impossible - I can't see a studio allowing it.