If we transport ourselves back in time to 2001, you might find that filmmaker Richard Kelly had the entire world ahead of him. After the breakout success of his film “Donnie Darko,” all eyes were on the filmmaker and what he might do next. Sadly, for Kelly, by the time 2006’s “Southland Tales” arrived in theaters and was one of the biggest bombs of the year, his future became far more grim. But hey, even though he’s yet to recapture the glory of ‘Darko’ (which was literally attempted in “S. Darko,” with the filmmaker denying any involvement), Kelly has proven to be an interesting filmmaker that many are expected to triumphantly return at some point in the future.
Well, according to a report from Production Weekly (via Comicbook.com), Kelly’s next feature, his first since 2009’s “The Box,” is said to be a biopic about famed “Twilight Zone” creator/star Rod Serling. As mentioned, Serling is best known as the creator-host of the iconic anthology series “The Twilight Zone.” His legendary voice and calm demeanor introduced each and every episode of the acclaimed, groundbreaking series.
The report says that Kelly will not only write the script but put himself in the director’s chair, also. As was alluded to above, the filmmaker has yet to reach the heights that “Donnie Darko” achieved in his later films, “Southland Tales” and “The Box.” His last film credit includes a producer’s credit for “Operation: Endgame” in 2010. Outside of that, Kelly has remained quiet until now, with this Rod Serling biopic perhaps being his first film in almost a decade.
Can Kelly salvage his career and return with a rousing biopic about one of the most legendary Hollywood figures? Even though there doesn’t seem to be much proof that this is likely to happen, considering his previous credits, there are still many, like me, that would love to see the filmmaker return and finally make a film worthy of his 2001 praise.