Ruben Fleischer has always been drawn to stories where chaos and style collide — the kind of pop filmmaking that can shift from violence to absurdity in a single beat. Now, the director behind “Zombieland” and “Venom” is eyeing what might be his most unexpected swing yet. In a conversation on The Playlist’s Discourse Podcast, while promoting his new film “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t,” Fleischer revealed that his long-developing project “The Sun Always Sets in the West” is “a Western vampire movie,” which he described as a vampire Western unlike anything he’s made before.
“That’s a really incredible script that we’re doing a little bit of work on still,” Fleischer said. “It’s a mashup of two genres, and it’s a traditional Western set in the 1870s. It’s kind of like ‘Unforgiven’ if the lead character were a vampire.”
Fleischer described the script with uncharacteristic reverence, calling it “one of the best scripts I’ve read in a while” and emphasizing that it’s “a very distinctive combination of genres,” unlike anything he’s ever seen before. He cited the recent success of films like “The Sinners” as proof that audiences are still eager for original takes on classic monster material, though he noted that his movie is “very distinct from that.”
“I think there’s plenty of room for both to exist,” he added. “I’m looking forward to receiving the next draft of the script, and hopefully we’ll get to making that sometime soon.”
Before turning to fangs and six-shooters, however, Fleischer remains loosely attached to another potential franchise outing — a sequel to “Uncharted.” The 2022 film, starring Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg, grossed over $400 million worldwide for Sony but has yet to move into production on a follow-up. “I’m not quite sure what the latest is on that,” Fleischer admitted. “I haven’t been very participatory in it.”
The filmmaker, whose career has included genre-hopping hits such as “Zombieland: Double Tap,” “30 Minutes Or Less,” and “Gangster Squad,” appears intent on staying unpredictable — blending pulp and personality in equal measure. And if “The Sun Always Sets in the West” makes it to screen, it could mark one of his most distinctive swings yet: a dusty, blood-soaked American myth seen through a distinctly comic-book lens.
More from our full Discourse interview with Fleischer — including insights on “Now You See Me: Now You Don’t” and revisiting the “Venom” phenomenon — coming soon. — Additional reporting by Mike DeAngelo.
