Michael Mann doesn’t put projects in front of the camera, until they’re absolutely ready, but it doesn’t mean he’s some kind of Stanley Kubrick perfectionist. The director still has “Ferrari” brewing, and is at work on the TV series “Hue 1968,” however, there’s a couple more feature film projects cooking on the stove.
Stopping in Paris for the Lumière de Lyon Film Festival, the director spoke with Liberation and revealed he’s got an intriguing sounding western on his desk. It’s a film that’s based on the true story of Cynthia Parker, who was kidnapped at the age of 10 by a Comanche war band, and lived most of her adult life with them, learning their language and culture. She was eventually “rescued” at the age of 34, but wasn’t able to adjust to western society, and was devastated about losing her Comanche family.
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“….there is this other idea that I was offered to do, which is called ‘Comanche.’ The action takes place in 1871,” Mann said (via Google Translate). “It is a very ambitious [story] that follows four characters whose trajectories will gradually converge… In fact, it’s the same story as John Ford‘s ‘The Searchers,’ except that film took a lot of very problematic freedoms. Cynthia Parker had nothing to do with the character who was inspired [the one played by] Natalie Wood. She was a wealthy wife and mother of five, in her forties, who did not speak English, ripped from her family to be assimilated by whites. She tried to escape several times, before committing suicide.”
Mann told AFP he has Hugh Jackman attached to the project, though we wonder if they might be mixing that up with “Ferrari,” which the actor is also set to star in.
Also brewing for Mann is “a science fiction project,” though no other details were given. However, he did say he was excited about new technologies that allow filmmakers to create whole words, and shared special praise for an unlikely movie.
“James Cameron‘s work is underestimated. ‘Avatar‘ is an extraordinary achievement. It exceeds all the expectations that can be projected on one of his projects. Cameron has always been several frontiers ahead in this area, as he invents technology himself to support his vision,” Mann said (probably more eloquently; again, Google Translate).
So, it looks like there’s at least one person looking forward to ‘Avatar 2.’