Two of the biggest talking points around last year’s awards race centered on the psychological, sexually tinged thriller “Black Swan” and sober interwebs drama “The Social Network.” So why not mash those two things up into a new movie?
We have no idea if writer Mark Heyman had that in mind, but the scribe behind “Black Swan” seems to have melded elements of both into his next project “XOXO.” 24 Frames reveals that the script is now making the rounds to find financing and distribution, with Darren Aronofsky attached to produce. No word yet if Heyman will take a stab behind the camera or if another helmer will be sought out. The plot itself will center on “a twentysomething man who meets a female contemporary on Facebook and begins a digital relationship with her, only to find the object of his affections take the relationship to an obsessed and stalker-y place.” Yes, comparisons to “Fatal Attraction” and “Catfish” have already been made.
So a thriller will two people typing furiously at their computers? Not so fast. Apparently Heyman has found a way around the conundrum of two characters sitting in front of screens “by constructing the digital interactions in stylized visual sequences.” The film also will also treat the social media phenomenon as something that’s already ingrained in our day-to-day life not as a random technology that evokes a cautionary tale.
So while this project looks to find a home, Heyman is busy with a few other films on his plate. He’s penning “Age Of Rage” as a potential vehicle for Marc Webb, and he’s got “Machine Man” going with Darren Aronofsky attached to direct (though “Noah” seems to be his priority pic right now). We dig Heyman, but we hope there is much more to “XOXO” than just a genre play here, and that he finds some elements and angles to a familiar set up to make it fresh.
