Having survived the legions of undead (and, more critically, the bad buzz) of World War Z, Marc Forster would be forgiven for sticking to projects with little chance of pressure beyond the usual filmmaking issues for a while. But no, he’s now attached to a project that is not only based on a Stanley Kubrick script, but aims to forge a trilogy from the story{
The script in question is Kubrick’s 1956 effort The Downslope, written following the release of Fear And Desire, and before he went on to make Paths Of Glory. It’s a critique of conflict framed by the tale of American Civil War battles in the Shenandoah Valley between Union General George Armstrong Custer and Confederate Colonel John Singleton Mosby. The latter was known as the Gray Ghost for his stealthy tactics, with his cavalrymen able to outsmart the much larger enemy forces. It’s all based on historical events, and Forster and his fellow producers are looking to expand the story out to three films, which will explore the post-war travels west across the country as Americans settled the new frontier.
“I am indebted to Stanley Kubrick and his visionary films. It is an honour and a huge responsibility to take on this project, and we’re thankful to his family for their support," Forster says in a statement. "This is a powerful work, an epic story, with its psychological landscape of brother pitted against brother, and friend against friend. We believe it will be an incredibly interesting trilogy, and a great experience sharing our mutual passion of Kubrick's vision." So... no pressure, then. It’s the brave filmmaker who tackles a project that has lingered in Kubrick’s archives for decades – perhaps he should have Steven Spielberg on speed dial for support.
Before he dives into that challenge, however, he’ll tackle his psychological thriller script All I See Is You, which stars Blake Lively and Jason Clarke and is now shooting.