Never in a thousand years did we dream we’d hear the words Kirsten Dunst and Lars Von Trier in the same sentence, but it’s happened.
The Danish enfante terrible has shored up the cast for his sci-fi-ish psychological disaster film, “Melancholia” and it’s a rather stellar one, including Dunst, Charlotte Gainsbourg from “Antichrist” (as rumored), Kiefer Sutherland, English doyenne Charlotte Rampling and father and son thespians Alexander Skarsgaard and Stellan Skarsgaard, plus the great German actor Udo Kier. We kinda have to say, wow.
Penelope Cruz was once in negotiations for “Melancholia” — a high-concept film likely about a random planet moving too closely into Earth’s orbit (or so these production stills suggest) which causes global disaster — but bailed instead for “Pirates of the Caribbean 4” (talk about your 18os).
“No more happy endings!” was Von Trier’s initial strange, sarcastic statement about the film when it was announced late last year, ironic obviously since most of his pictures are as bleak and razor-to-wrist-inducing as all get out.
Either way, it’s pretty much the ensemble film we imagined, probably different people on Earth dealing with the impending doom of the planet, all freaking out, trying to survive and trying to find their loved ones. It’ll be the intelligent man’s take on “2012,” with probably minimal effects is our guess, and a modest budget at $7 million dollars. “Psychological disaster” also implies that nothing really happens physically to the earth, but the planet just bursts into a global widespread panic which is its own internal disaster (looting, plundering, etc.). Should be as fun as any Disney ride, we’re sure. And needless to say, sounds like a must-see and just jumped to the top of our Most Anticipated 2011 list. [Deadline]