Alejandro González Iñárritu is one of those directors who, when they have a film out, the whole cinema-going world should stop what they are doing and take note. To put it simply, this is a man who knows his craft like the back of his hand and makes films that truly stand as testament to what filmmaking can be – art.
With titles like Babel and Biutiful, Iñárritu has his fingers firmly on the pulse of society’s troubles and tribulations, while tapping into an emotional core that so many directors fail to find. It’s no surprise then that his next effort, Birdman, has received a prime slot in next month’s Venice Film Festival.
But that’s not why we’re here. It’s his other project, The Revenant, that has us all talking … and sadly, it’s for all the wrong reasons.
The film, which is set to start shooting in September, received a financial blow to the gut when stumbling production company Worldview Entertainment severed its ties with the project, while 20th Century Fox are reportedly uninterested in putting up the cash to pay stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy in their pay-or-play deals. These contractual agreements would see the actors get their pay checks regardless of whether or not the film was made. To me, that sounds like 20th Century Fox has less faith in The Revenant than many of us would expect.
To make things even trickier, it appears as though Iñárritu has his heart set on shooting the film in sequence – which would only add another $7 million dollars to a bill that is becoming, quite frankly, something nobody wants to be lumbered with.
That being said, it looks as though Megan Ellison (The Master) via Annapurna Pictures is willing to step in and provide the financial aid the film so desperately needs. We can only hope the director can make this movie the way he wants – otherwise it may turn into another case of behind-the-camera troubles sourly affecting what would have been a glorious final result.
As always, let us know your thoughts on The Revenant in the comments section below!