After the debacle that was “Exorcist: Believer,” and as the ghost of William Friedkin continues to haunt him, David Gordon Green has quickly set up his next film, which is this indie called “Nutcrackers.”
The production sheet I was given states that the film is supposed to start production on November 28th in North Carolina. This indie will mark a deviation for Green, whose last few projects have been soulless reboots of horror franchises (‘Halloween,’ ‘Exorcist’).
“Nutcrackers” is based on a screenplay by Leland Douglas (“Call of the Wild.”) Casting details are being kept under wraps. The film is set up at Green’s production company, Rough House Pictures. I have some vague plot details for “Nutcrackers,” but not anything that resembles a storyline:
In an unexpected turn of events, four siblings discover a nurturing haven in the most improbable place.
Green was, at some point in time, a filmmaker I deeply respected, but he’s now gone so far off the deep end in Hollywood claptrap. This return to his indie roots could signify a fresh start for him.
The 47-year-old filmmaker was once heralded as the heir to Terrence Malick with his first four films: “George Washington,” “All the Real Girls,” “Undertow” and “Snow Angels.” The late Roger Ebert was also a major fan of his.
Green has since dabbled here and there with indie filmmaking (“Joe,” “Stronger,” “Prince Avalanche”), but these last five years he has become a full-on whore for Blumhouse. The question now remains whether he’ll drop out of the ‘Exorcist’ franchise he kickstarted this past September.
After the poor reception of “Exorcist: Believer”, sources from THR claimed that there would be a creative re-think for the next two films, this after Green had expressed doubt about his future participation. However, as it stands, Green is still set to direct “Exorcist: Deceiver” next year, but don’t be surprised if he drops out.