Exclusives
Vincenzo Natali on Potential ‘Splice’ Sequels
During our exclusive chat with Vincenzo Natali about Splice, his sci-fi thriller debuting at the Sundance Film Festival this weekend, he revealed that there is a chance we might one day see a sequel. In the film Clive (Adrien Brody) and Elsa (Sarah Polley) are young, brilliant and ambitious. The new animal species they engineered have made them rebel superstars of the scientific world. In secret, they introduce human DNA into the experiment. The result is something that is greater than the sum of its parts: a female animal-human hybrid that may be a step up on the evolutionary ladder. They think they may have created the perfect organism, until she makes a final shocking metamorphosis that could destroy them … and the rest of humanity.
“You know it’s funny, because without giving anything away, the film ends as though we’re trying to set up a sequel,” Natali told BD in an exclusive interview adding that it wasn’t his intention. “And I want to make it very clear that that was not my intention whatsoever. It just happens that I believed it was the best way to end the story. Like all my films actually are somewhat open-ended, so I think they invite that question. I really just want this movie to be released. (Laughs)”
He continues, “Here’s what I will say: after CUBE, which did have two sequels, of which I had no involvement whatsoever, I would not allow a second film to be made without my involvement. Simply because I want to protect that merchandise, as it were. I just felt that with CUBE, for better or worse, I wasn’t a part of that, and I wouldn’t have made some of the decisions that I think were made with the sequels. I would have done them a little differently. That’s not to say that they weren’t worthy sequels, but it’s just not the way I would have gone personally. So I think the same would be true with SPLICE, if that were in fact to happen.”
Out today in select theaters and on digital platforms is heartfelt and playful documentary Mockbuster, which sees a director cold call a studio and ask to helm a lost-world dinosaur epic.
Inexplicably, they say yes.
Our exclusive clip below highlights both the comedic nature of this bizarre scenario as well as the pressures of shooting dino feature The Land That Time Forgot in a mere six days, with no real feature experience.
A dino attack scene causes friction on set in this scene.
In the documentary, “A struggling filmmaker’s opportunity collides with chaos and compromise when Sharknado’s notorious studio, The Asylum, invites him to direct a ‘mockbuster.’ With six days, a micro budget, and mounting pressure, Mockbuster is a comedic, behind-the-scenes documentary exploring the balance between low-budget filmmaking and creative ambition.”
More than just an inside look at filmmaking via low-budget film studio The Asylum, it doubles as one man’s pursuit of his dreams to charming, humorous effect.
“Mockbuster is a documentary about my own journey, but it’s also a love letter to one of the last grindhouses still functioning in Hollywood. We get to meet the characters and creators of some of the most infamous (and most hated) B-movies of the last few decades. People who make movies purely for profit – no pretension, no artistry, just monsters, C-listers, and chaos. A film that both genre fans and cinephiles can enjoy. But Mockbuster isn’t just about filmmaking, it’s about losing sight of your dreams, and reclaiming them in your own twisted way,” Director Anthony Frith said in a statement.
From Executive Producer and famed documentarian David Farrier, Mockbuster opens in select theaters and on digital platforms beginning July 10.