It may seem like Shawn Levy(Real Steel) has a new project every other week, but don't let that fool you, he's still very much on board to direct a remake of Fantastic Voyage for producer James Cameron. He'll probably tackle his version of Frankenstein first, then maybe a new take on Pinocchio, plus there's the Real Steel sequel he's confirmed to return for. Somehow amongst all that he'll find time for Fantastic Voyage, which according to recent statements by James Cameron is going to diverge from the 1966 classic about a team of scientists who shrink down and enter the body of a colleague to save his life. Cameron told Deadline...
Cameron: “I gave him my idea about how this should be turned into a love story and he’s really run with it."
Written by Shane Salerno with a rewrite by Laeta Kalogridis(Shutter Island), the story will center on a doctor in the midst of a troubled marriage, who shrinks down in an attempt to save the life of his deathly ill wife. The action picks up once he and his crew reach the woman's brain.
Hey, this is James Cameron. The guy who turned the deaths of hundreds on a sinking ship into an epic romance. Did you expect something different?
Cameron said the script is about 2/3 of the way into development, so there's no sure fire answer to when the film might shoot. It will of course be in 3D, but I wouldn't expect it for at least 2-3 years. For one thing, they need to figure out who will star. At last report, there was some "argument" over Levy's desire to cast an A-list star, otherwise he'd walk away from the project altogether. That's been disputed since, but it remains an issue. Will Smith's name has been floated around as a potential star, and it certainly sounds like the type of July 4th weekend film he's known for. Smith has a lot on his schedule as well, so we'll just have to wait and see how it turns out.
