How many films can one director be attached to at one time? Is there such a thing as being too creative when picking your projects? These are just some of the questions that “Terminator Salvation” director McG will be asking himself over the coming year. According to The Hollywood Reporter McG has attached his name to yet another project – one without special effects. He is set to direct an adaptation of the Tony Award-winning musical “Spring Awakening”. The horror.
So what about this Broadway musical would pull McG’s thoughts away from killer cyborgs? “Spring Awakening” is set in 19th century Germany and is described as a teenaged “coming of age story” (yawn… this synopsis better get better real soon) that includes the issues of masturbation, rape, abortion and suicide. Musical masturbation? Singing rape? How is this not a movie already?
“Spring Awakening” does not have studio backing at this time, which is funny because singing abortion numbers are just what the studios are looking for these days - that and tent pole pics. THR theorizes that McG may want to circumvent the studios with “Awakening” in order to make a more intimate “edgier” movie version. OK, but they have to admit that the abortion/rape angle is already pretty edgy.
Fans of McG’s more mainstream work need not fear his trip to the musical dark-side, however. The director has al lot of other, non-rapey, projects in the works. Aside from the pretty-much-a-lock “Terminator” sequel, he also has an adaptation of Disney’s “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” in development along with the thriller “Dead Spy Running”.
And just to be clear (because we all know that McG also swims in the production end of the pool) – these are all films that the man plans on directing himself. I’m not sure where “Spring Awakening” will rank on the director’s to-do list but I have to say that I’m intrigued to see how he plans on selling this project to the public. Here’s a thought: leave all mention of “rape”, “abortion” and “suicide” OUT of the trailer.