I’m beginning to think that there’s more than one Guillermo del Toro. How else can he possibly be involved in all the projects that are attached to his name? Today, we can add another one to the list as del Toro plans to produce Midnight Delivery, with Kevin Costner in the lead.
Things are being played close to the chest on this one. Deadline only reports that Costner is currently in talks to lead the film, which is written by Neil Cross. Cross already wrote the del Toro-produced horror film Mama, and created the BBC series Luther. No director is attached to the project yet, but with Costner probably signing on, it’s only a matter of time.
We tend to talk about the films Guillermo del Toro produces and the films he directs in the same breath. That might be a little unfair; other directors are involved, after all, and they contribute a good deal. Still, there’s no doubt that films like Mama, Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark and The Orphanage all bear the unmistakable stamp, in theme and style, of many del Tor0-directed films. Is there such a thing as a producer-auteur? I think Guillermo del Toro might fit the bill.
It’s too much to hope that he plans to direct Midnight Delivery, I think. Del Toro already has Crimson Peak to shoot, the FX series of his novel The Strain to work on, as well as the possibilities of Pacific Rim 2, Frankenstein, Slaughterhouse-Five and, in my dreams, Hellboy 3. That’s a lot for one man; hence my continued belief that del Toro is multiple people.
We’ll see in the coming weeks and months what we can expect from Midnight Delivery. The title is a wee bit creepy, and Costner has done some pretty dark roles in the past. With del Toro backing him and Cross writing the screenplay, we can only assume that it’s going to be a little scary.