Thanks to the critical success of both Moon and Source Code, Duncan Jones has quickly established himself as one of the top-tier young writer/directors in Hollywood. Blending science-fiction with drama, mystery and thrills, the filmmaker has already established a following that hotly anticipates his next feature. But for those hoping that he would stay within the confines of genre for the rest of his career, I have some bad news.
In an interview with This Is Fake DIY, Jones revealed details about his next project and that he plans on taking a break from science-fiction once it's completed. "Moon was done at a tiny budget and we really squeezed everything we could out of it," Jones said. "Source Code was a chance to work on a bigger budget with name actors, but on a project that wasn't my own. Hopefully, this third film will be the kind of sci-fi I want to make, on a budget where I can afford to do it as I see it in my head. After that, I'll change genres." That said, it appears that he plans on going out with a bang instead of a whimper as he has apparently traveled to New Zealand to talk special effects with the folks at WETA, the design studio behind the Lord of the Rings films and Rise of the Planet of the Apes. While he didn't specify exactly what he's been working on and suggested that it's not a done deal, he had nothing but high praise for the outfit, saying "They're the best in the world, and when you get the chance to meet them, and see how they do it, it's not just a company - they have a community of people who love film, and are amazing at it. I feel I would be privileged to get the chance to work with WETA so hopefully that will happen."
Back in January Jones said that he was working on what he called a "future city film" as his homage to Blade Runner, but there aren't really enough details here to suggest if that's what he's still working on. The filmmaker has previously talked about an adaptation of Alex Kershaw's Escape From The Deep and a script called Mute (which he says will be a graphic novel first), so it's still unknown as to exactly what he's developing for his third effort. As for him taking a break from sci-fi, we may miss his contribution to the genre, but it's hard to blame a director for wanting to spread his wings and see what else he can do.
