This is sure to be interesting. Director Shane Carruth has amassed a small yet devoted following for his philosophical, complex small-budget sci-fi films "Primer" and "Upstream Color." It's no surprise if you haven't heard of them, they're hardly what you would call mainstream films; Carruth has never worked within the studio system. But for his next project, the divisive filmmaker is moving up to a blockbuster action movie. That's a turn we didn't see coming.
The long independent Carruth has signed on with WME, one of the largest talent agencies in the world, to make his next film, "The Modern Ocean," according to Deadline. Not much is known in terms of story, but the movie is described as a "nautical adventure" and will reportedly have a considerable budget.
This is new territory for Carruth, whose "Primer" cost a mere $7,000 to produce while "Upstream Color" clocked in a practically astronomical $50,000. If there's anyone who can stretch a dollar within the rigid framework of Hollywood, we're betting it's this guy. But what kind of film will this be?
"Primer" and "Upstream Color" both have their supporters and detractors. Each film is a deep dive into sci-fi with a lot of intellectual pseudo-science behind it that you need an Einstein-level IQ to understand. Seriously, if you thought Christopher Nolan's concepts were hard to wrap your head around, then prepare for some next level stuff when "The Modern Ocean" drops. Carruth has never cared much for making movies that appeal to the masses, so it will be interesting to see how, or even if, he tones it down for this upcoming blockbuster.
You know what, just watch this trailer for "Upstream Color" to understand what I'm saying.
Adding to the intrigue is how involved Carruth will be with this next feature. His two previous films saw him write, direct, star, produce, edit, distribute and even write the music (!). With a bigger budget and more ground-level support, he'll likely have to relinquish at least some control and that may impact the final product for better or worse.
This could either be one of the most thought provoking and visually stunning blockbusters in recent memory or an overly complex story that turns off the majority of the movie going public. Either way, we're excited to find out.
