In his latest blog post, S. Craig Zahler says he expects to have a movie announced “in the coming months.”
This is great news as Zahler is one of the more interesting cinematic voices to have emerged the last decade. He hasn’t even gotten his due with critics either.
Is it because of the film media constantly wondering what his political affiliations are? Does anyone outside of their bubble actually give a damn? Of course not. That hasn’t stopped The Daily Beast from proclaiming him “the filmmaker making movies for the MAGA crowd.” What?!
“Bone Tomahawk”, “Brawl In Cell Block 99,” and especially “Dragged Across Concrete” speak for themselves. These are singular works from a singular voice. Zahler’s very much what one might qualify as a methodical filmmaker, depicting the madness of morally tortured men. His dialogue packs a satisfying snap and the action almost always plays out in unbearably excruciating fashion.
It’s been almost five years since “Dragged Across Concrete,” and maybe this “announcement” will turn out to be the obvious: Ridley Scott adapting Zahler’s novel, “Wraiths of the Broken Land.” I’m hoping it’s an actual project that Zahler will be directing.
Last year, it was a real downer to hear that what was supposed to be Zahler’s next film, “Hug Chickenpenny,” had been scrapped due to lack of financing.
The ambitious project was based on his own book, titled “Hug Chickenpenny: The Panegyric of an Anomalous Child”, a gothic tale involving puppets — Zahler had hinted at a 3-hour black and white movie reminiscent of Lynch’s “Elephant Man.” He had a cast and the Jim Henson company was involved, but he could not get proper financing.