It's been one hell of a day for Guillermo Del Toro news already, and it's far from over. He's been everywhere lately talking up Mama, the horror film he produced which stars Jessica Chastain. Along the way he's mostly been chatting up everything else which he's been loosely attached to, such as Star Wars Episode VII.
So Del Toro was never actually attached to the film, but he was asked about it a couple of months ago, at the time denying that he had been offered the director job. Now he's singing a slightly different tune, telling ThePlaylist that he did get a call about the job from Disney, but ultimately turned it down because of his already packed schedule. We already know that Michael Arndt is writing the script, but who does Del Toro think should step behind the camera?
Del Toro: "I think the fans deserve somebody that is just going to immerse themselves completely. As a geek, I would have loved to see Brad Bird take it."
Arndt and Bird would make for one hell of a team, but the latter is busy enough with his top secret sci-fi project, 1952, with George Clooney set for the lead.
Del Toro also signed on to what was then known as Heaven Sent, which would put him in charge of the DC Universe's supernatural realm of heroes. While speaking with IGN, Del Toro revealed the working title is Dark Universe and that he is working on a story outline now with who he says is the "perfect writer", although he won't admit who it is. He goes on to talk about the mystical characters that he'll be using, noting Swamp Thing, Demon, Constantine, Deadman, The Spectre, and Zatanna.
Plans for Warner Bros. to create their own "cohesive" universe have been underway for awhile, and he specifically highlights Superman and Batman as the pillars of that movement. Does that mean Christopher Nolan's Batman and Zack Snyder's Man of Steel are in the same continuity, which will then include Justice League? And could that mean the rumors of Joseph Gordon-Levitt appearing as Batman aren't all that ridiculous? So many questions to be answered, but for now let's just be happy that Del Toro is back making superhero movies for the first time since Hellboy II.
