Luca Guadagnino’s highly anticipated DC movie Sgt. Rock has hit an unexpected roadblock and is reportedly cancelled.
The 53-year-old director, best known for his work on Call Me by Your Name and Suspiria, was teaming up with his frequent collaborator Justin Kuritzkes to bring the iconic comic book character to life. But despite the buzz around the project, it seems Sgt. Rock won’t be entering production this summer as initially planned, due to scheduling conflicts and the timing of exterior shoots required for the film.
TheWrap reported that the cancellation of the project wasn’t due to financial issues, with the film’s budget said to be set at under $70 million. The real issue seems to have been the tight timeline needed to start shooting in the UK. With a reliance on outdoor filming, the project simply couldn’t meet the production deadline for this summer. While multiple outlets, including TheWrap and The Hollywood Reporter, confirm that the movie has been shelved, Deadline is reporting that the film hasn’t been fully cancelled yet, but rather the pre-production phase has come to a halt. According to them, principal photography is now scheduled to begin next summer.
Sgt. Rock, based on the World War II soldier from the DC comics, has seen several failed attempts to make it to the big screen in the past. Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger were once linked to the role, but those plans never materialized. Initially, Daniel Craig was attached to play the titular character, reuniting with Guadagnino after their work together on Queer. However, Craig dropped out of the project in February, and Colin Farrell, already a part of the DC universe as The Penguin in The Batman series, was rumored to take over the role.
Though Sgt. Rock may be on hold for now, Guadagnino isn’t letting this setback slow him down. The director is currently working on a new adaptation of American Psycho, the iconic novel by Bret Easton Ellis. At this year’s CinemaCon, Guadagnino shared an update on the project, revealing that the script is shaping up nicely, thanks to writer Scott Z. Burns. “We’re really working hard to bring a new adaptation to the screen,” Guadagnino said, clearly excited about the new take on the story.
While Guadagnino hasn’t revealed any details about the cast, it was reported back in December that Austin Butler, fresh off his success in Elvis, is in talks to play Patrick Bateman, a role made famous by Christian Bale in the 2000 film. Unlike the previous adaptation, Guadagnino’s version of American Psycho will offer a fresh perspective, with a stronger erotic emphasis, making it distinct from the 2000 classic.
Lionsgate has already expressed their enthusiasm for Guadagnino’s vision, with film chief Adam Fogelson calling him the “perfect visionary” to helm this new take on a beloved, albeit disturbing, story. With the script coming together and the director in talks with “exciting performers” for the lead roles, it seems like this project is moving full speed ahead.
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