News that Guillermo del Toro is making a film called ‘Nightmare Alley’ has been circulating around media circles for a while now. It has led to a lot of speculation about the film. Including exactly who is linked to this project and when it is set for release. While much of the information is still up in the air, here is what we know about Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Nightmare Alley’ so far. Way back in 1947, Fox Searchlight was the production team behind the original ‘Nightmare Alley.’ This film was based on the novel of the same name by William Lindsay Gresham that had been published the previous year. It was adapted into a screenplay by Jules Furthman and the film was directed by Edmund Goulding. It starred Tyrone Power and Joan Blondell.
According to Variety, Guillermo del Toro’s version of the film is based more on the original novel than on the first film. Therefore, it is not simply a remake and it is more a new interpretation of the novel that inspired the 1947 film. Guillermo del Toro’s involvement with this film is huge, so it is no wonder it is being dubbed as Guillermo del Toro ‘Nightmare Alley’ rather than simply by the name of the film. Del Toro co-wrote the script with Kim Morgan and he will direct and produce the movie. Furthermore, he is financing the film along with J. Miles Dale from TSG Entertainment. Fox Searchlight is just as involved with this film as its predecessor, as they have acquired the worldwide distribution rights.
If you haven’t seen the 1947 version of the film, then you are probably wondering about the premise of the film. It is about a young conman who collaborates with a corrupt female psychiatrist. At first, they enjoy a good working relationship and take delight in conning people out of their money together. According to Vulture, they do this by the conman convincing the psychiatrist’s rich patients that he can communicate with the dead. However, the psychiatrist then turns against the conman. Although the exact ending of the storyline is not being revealed, it will no doubt be something spectacular thanks to Del Toro’s involvement.
The last film directed by Del Toro was the 2017 romantic dark fantasy movie ‘The Shape of Water’. He also co-wrote and co-produced this film, which starred Sally Hawkins and Michael Shannon. This movie won Oscars for Best Director and Best Picture. Since then, he has taken a break from direction while he picked his next project carefully. In the meantime, he has produced ‘Antlers’ and ‘Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark’. He was also a producer for the 2018 film ‘Pacific Rim: Uprising’, which was co-written and directed by Steven S. DeKnight, of which this was his feature film directorial debut. This film was a sequel to the 2013 film ‘Pacific Rim’, which was directed by Guillermo del Toro.
Clearly, Del Toro has decided that ‘Nightmare Alley’ is the perfect project for him. As this filmmaker has a reputation for getting involved in films with dark themes, it seems that it is probably a perfect fit for his style. He will no doubt implement his unique style of special effects to ‘Nightmare Alley’ to create a film that stands apart from the original version of ‘Nightmare Alley’.
So, who can Del Toro fans expect to see in the lead roles in his new project? Although nothing has been confirmed, both Cate Blanchett and Bradley Cooper are rumored to have looked at the script and both are potentially signing up for the film. Neither they nor Del Toro has confirmed whether they are involved or not, so there is still an element of speculation at this point. Cate Blanchett is currently an in-demand actress who has juggled many projects in recent years. In 2019, she provided the voice of Valka for ‘How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World’ and played the lead role of Bernadette Fox in ‘Where’d You Go, Bernadette’. She is also filming ‘Mrs. America’, an FX limited series.
Bradley Cooper has been just as busy, and 2018 was particularly hectic for the actor and filmmaker. He provided the voice of Rocket for ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ and played the role of Colin Bates in ‘The Mule’. He also wrote, produced, directed, and starred in ‘A Star is Born’. In 2019, he reprised the voice role of Rocket for ‘Avengers: Endgame’ and is a producer of ‘Joker’. Despite both Blanchett and Cooper having busy schedules, it does not mean they will not have the time to devote to filming ‘Nightmare Alley’. It is expected that filming of Del Toro’s new project will not begin until late 2020, so there is plenty of time for them to clear a space in their hectic schedules.
At this point, there have been no other names linked to the film, and it isn’t even clear which roles Blanchett and Cooper will take on. However, as they are both actors of high caliber, most are assuming that they will play the conman and the psychiatrist. Once it is confirmed that they are both signed up to the project, it will no doubt attract more talent who are keen to have their name attached to a Del Toro film that stars both Cooper and Blanchett.
For now, there is very little other information about Guillermo del Toro’s ‘Nightmare Alley’. Over the coming year, it is likely that a lot more information about the upcoming film will surface and fans can learn more about what to expect from this dark movie. More details and teaser clips will then follow once filming has begun in late 2020. No official release date has been given for this film, but the filming start date suggests that it will hit movie screens no earlier than 2021.
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