David Cronenberg, the director behind such films as Scanners and A History of Violence, has announced his next project, Crimes of the Future. The upcoming film will be Cronenberg’s first film as director since 2014’s Maps to the Stars, and his first original screenplay since 1999’s eXistenZ.
Crimes of the Future will mark the fourth collaboration between Cronenberg and Viggo Mortensen, who previously worked together on A History of Violence, Eastern Promises, and A Dangerous Method. The film will also star Léa Seydoux, Kristen Stewart, Scott Speedman, Welket Bungué, Don McKellar, and Lihi Kornowski. Principal photography for Crimes of the Future is slated to begin in August in Athens, Greece.
In a press release announcing the film, Cronenberg stated “I have unfinished business with the future.” That certainly seems to be the case, since the film is set in a future “where humankind is learning to adapt to its synthetic surroundings. The evolution moves humans beyond their natural state and into a metamorphosis, altering their biological makeup.” Crimes of the Future certainly sounds in line with Cronenberg’s earlier films like The Fly and Videodrome. The description continues that “while some embrace the limitless potential of transhuman, others attempt to police it.” This evolution, known as “Accelerated Evolution Syndrome,” is spreading fast.
Crimes of the Future is produced by Serendipity Point Films and Neon, who recently produced Possessor, the directorial debut from Brandon Cronenberg, David Cronenberg’s son. This new project will also reunite Cronenberg with his Crash and Dead Ringers producer designer Carol Spier, and Howard Shore, the three-time Academy Award-winning composer who has worked with Cronenberg on the majority of his films.
While it’s unclear when Crimes of the Future will be released, this cast and August start date for filming is certainly promising. Hopefully, we won’t have to wait too long to see Cronenberg handle his unfinished business with the future.