At one point, Alfonso Cuarón was a serious contender to helm the next Bond, with producer David Heyman, who previously teamed with Cuarón on “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” pushing hard for the reunion. Ultimately, though, Cuarón chose to step away from the running, opting to focus on other creative commitments.
Cuarón, who is coming off his ambitious Apple TV+ series “Disclaimer,” is now, according to Variety, preparing to finally shoot his long-delayed film about Philip K. Dick and his twin sister for Amazon/MGM.
Indeed, Cuarón’s name is still attached to “Jane,” a thriller starring Charlize Theron that’s currently awaiting a final draft from Jack Thorne (“Enola Holmes”). The trade reports that the project is now on the “fast track” and could potentially become Cuarón’s next directorial effort.
If “Jane” does move forward, it would mark Cuarón’s first feature film since his 2018 critically acclaimed “Roma.” Based on the personal life of science-fiction author Philip K. Dick, “Jane” tells the fictional story of a relationship between Dick and his twin sister Jane, who died six weeks after birth.
It’s a peculiar story, and one that clearly won’t follow the traditional path of a fact-based biopic, but Cuarón sees something deeply compelling in it. Philip K. Dick’s relationship with his sister, whose death profoundly affected him, not only left a personal scar but also became a recurring influence throughout his creative work. Cuarón seems drawn to that emotional and psychological terrain.
Cuarón is the acclaimed director of “Roma,” “Y Tu Mamá También,” “Children of Men,” and “Gravity” — all four of which appeared on The New York Times’ list of the 100 Best Films of the 21st Century. Given that track record, it’s something of a loss that we haven’t seen a new feature from him in almost seven years.