Things have been quiet on the Brian De Palma front and not without good reason. His last two films, the docudrama “Redacted” and the James Ellroy adaptation “The Black Dahlia,” were godawful; it’s no surprise that the only project he’s been linked to lately was “Paranormal Activity 2” (seriously).
Well, it looks like De Palma is looking for a comeback, and he’s dusted off a six-year-old project to bring to the big screen. Vulture reports that the De Palma has lined up an adaptation of Gardner McKay’s novel and stage play Toyer, which follows a “serial lunatic.” The intriguing premise follows the titular killer who “doesn’t murder or rape his beautiful female victims, he “toys” with them, torturing them psychologically, then putting them into a medically induced coma. Anyway, without a capital crime to prosecute, the police and D.A. can only charge the Toyer with “mayhem,” and as they’re overwhelmed with hundreds of uncleared murder cases, the Toyer case becomes a lower priority. So a female neurologist who treats Toyer’s victims teams up with a newspaper editor to draw him out and bring him to justice.”
It actually sounds pretty cool and in a particularly De Palma-ian (is that a word?) twist, the setting will be switched up from Los Angeles to Venice and set against the Carnevale di Venezia during “which elaborate masks disguising one’s identity.” We’re sure the director’s already got an elaborate tracking shot all worked out.
The indie production is being produced by Tarak Ben Ammar (“Hannibal Rising,” “Femme Fatale”) and Scott Steindorff (“The Human Stain,” “Love in the Time of Cholera”). No word yet if De Palma adapted the book himself or if another writer is involved. Production is gearing up to take place later this year in Venice.
It’s been a long time since a De Palma film truly intrigued us — “Carlito’s Way” is probably his last front-to-back solid effort, though “Femme Fatale” is not without its charms — but this does sound like some great material and hopefully it will be creative kick the director needs.
