Director of 1996 Marlon Brando Island of Dr. Moreau Is Planning on Remaking It

I am an unapologetic fan of the John Frankenheimer movie that came out, which works far better than it has any right to as a descent into madness that systematically kills off every character you care about (David Thewlis as romantic lead, in and of itself, is a ballsy, nutso casting move that I love). But when you see the documentary Lost Souls, about the making of it, it’s clear that Richard Stanley’s original vision was a million times MORE nuts, with stuff that was probably unfilmable in the mid-’90s, both for content reasons and effects limitations.

In an interview at the LA Weekly, which I’m particularly envious of my colleague Amy Nicholson for scoring, Stanley drops this bombshell:

It’s too early for me to name the company involved, but I was actually put under contract in January to write a new draft of The Island of Dr. Moreau, which is already completed and delivered.

He elaborates:

Now, of course, we’re living in a universe where people have seen Guardians of the Galaxy and the idea of dogs carrying machine guns no longer seems like a way-out art house idea. I suspect the original script simply came too early. If it had come now, it would make sense as a VFX oddity. I think Dr. Moreau is going to be now better. I’ve had 20 years of hindsight. The plan is it’s going to resurface initially as a graphic novel next year from the Humanoids who’ve picked it up. And if that works well, then the insane plan is to develop the comic book back into a movie again.

And if that doesn’t wet your whistle:

I think part of that problem is the world’s still not used to the idea of an epic fantasy film for adults. They’ve always had the desire in the last adaptations to make it safe for the family. The script I’ve turned in now isn’t so much R-rated as X-rated.

MUST. SEE. THIS. HAPPEN. Get Thewlis back to play Moreau this time.