It’s been a long time since the film adaptations of Twilight and Lord of the Rings came out, but the fandoms still remain pretty strong. That’s why when such reference-worthy stars from either franchise start a new project, it’s kind of a big deal to a lot of people. Well, one new project is getting a top star from both of these franchises, so fans better hold on to their popcorn! Crimes of the Future is the title of the double whammy of a film, and stars both Twilight's Kristen Stewart and Lord of the Rings’ Viggo Mortensen.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Kristen Stewart and Viggo Mortensen are set to star together in David Cronenberg’s Crimes of the Future. If that name sounds familiar, you must be a 1970s sci-fi fan. This new project is actually a remake of another film by the same name that is also directed by Cronenberg, who is arguably most well known for directing The Fly.
Yes, that’s right, David Cronenberg is remaking his own film. It kind of makes sense, though, if you really think about it. It’s a sci-fi film that is set in the “not-so-distant” future, and the original was made in 1970. 50 years is a huge chunk of time, and it’s even larger when you think of the technological advances we have made since then, which is kind of important for a sci-fi film. It’s more than enough time to give Cronenberg the means to make the film he had the ideas for 50 years ago.
It totally makes sense that he would cast Viggo Mortensen and Kristen Stewart too. Even if we ignore the fact that they both have very large and very different fan bases, their background and main claim to fame is through their fantasy work. Yes, fantasy isn’t exactly sci-fi, but it’s pretty close. Also, Stewart recently dived into the sci-fi genre with Underwater and Mortensen... well, it’s Viggo Mortensen. Put him in anything, and I will watch it, because he is an amazingly versatile actor. He did play a pretty great dystopian land dweller in The Road, though, and that’s pretty close to sci-fi too.
Even with Kristen Stewart’s and Viggo Mortensen’s somewhat loose connections to the sci-fi genre, David Cronenberg more than makes up for it. Conenberg is one of the kings when it comes to horror and has a recognizable name in sci-fi too - he was even considered to direct Total Recall and turned down directing a Star Wars film, two major additions to sci-fi culture. Cronenberg has also recognized Mortensen for more than just Aragorn in Lord of The Rings for a long time, as they worked together on A History of Violence, so it’s no wonder the filmmaker is keen to work with the actor again.
The Crimes of the Future reboot is still in its early phases and is set to start filming in Greece this August. Although it may not be a film that Twilight and Lord of the Rings fans have come to know from Kristen Stewart and Viggo Mortensen, it’s really not that far off base, and fans may step out of their comfort zone to support the two fan favorites when it's finally released.
