Richard Kelly made a huge splash with his leap into the Hollywood pool with Donnie Darko in 2001. Since then, however, the writer/director has had some problems getting his momentum back up. His follow up picture, Southland Tales seems to be eternally stuck. After a harsh welcome at Cannes last year, Kelly planned a new cut of the picture, but little word has come about the movie since. With casting being announced for Kelly’s next picture, The Box, is Southland Tales lost forever?
Even the movie’s stars have no idea what’s going on with the project. Making the rounds for License to Wed, Mandy Moore told Sci Fi Wire that she’s not sure what’s happening with the picture or if she’s even in the new cut. In fact, Moore hasn’t seen any incarnation of the film and knows that they had to cut the movie down so much it’s possible her character is on the cutting room floor. She plays the wife of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in the movie, and isn’t in the apocalyptic sci-fi element of the story.
I’m a huge fan of Donnie Darko and want to see more from Kelly, but right now it’s looking like he very well might just be a flash-in-the-pan director – good for one picture and that’s all. With Southland Tales having so much trouble, I have to admit I’m surprised The Box is moving forward at all. Hopefully one of these projects will finally show up and prove Kelly to have the potential Donnie Darko promised.
