Neuromancer

Genre: Science Fiction.

Studio: Unknown.
Production Company: Seven Arts Pictures.

Project Phase: Development Hell.

Who's In It: Unknown.
Who's Making It: Chris Cunningham (Director); Peter Hoffman (Producer); based on the novel Neuromancer by William Gibson.

Premise: Case is a cowboy, one of those hardwired to ride the metaphysical realm of cyberspace. Case was also a thief -- until those he stole from caught him. When they burned his ability out of his mind off the withdrawl he went through was ten times worse than any junkie's problems.

Now he's been given a second chance. A mysterious employer named Wintermute has given back to Case his ability to jack into the matrix. He's part of a clandestine team. Their mission will take them all over the world, infiltrate megacorporations and face down street ninjas. And when they finally reach the end of Wintermute's job they may wish they were dead.

Release Date: Unknown.

Comments: It's been widely known that Gibson's book propelled the sub-genre of cyberpunk science fiction into an 80's hot trend, and that he's generally given credit for coining the term 'cyberspace'. But even though the film rights for his novel has been bought and re-negotiated by a half-dozen potential producers for the past decade-and-a-half, the movie version is still no closer to becoming a reality. What's the hold up? Basically, the reason is because this is Neuromancer. This is the novel that captured the media and public's attention to glitzy hi-tech noir. if Miami Vice was pitched as MTV cops by its creator back in '83, a faithful feature version of Neuromancer would come across as a Raymond Chandler story laced on speed and set 100 years in the future. You need the right director, the right producer and the right actors to make any Neuromancer movie come close to the nuance and cybercool Gibson captured back then. And let's face it: we've seen just about every Neuromancer-inspired idea in film already. The Internet is a reality. Computer generated effects are now commonplace in movies. Has the time for a Neuromancer film already past us by??

Let's hope there exists a creative team that will prove us wrong.

Rumors: Unknown.

Scoop Feedback:

December 1, 1998... Director Chris Cunningham is formally linked to the project. British-boen Cunningham directed music videos before, including Madonna's Frozen and Aphex Twin's Come to Daddy, and was involved with Stanley Kubrick's A.I. project, as our May 17th scoop from our A.I. page says (SPOILERS FOR "A.I." POSSIBLY CONTAINED IN SCOOP):

The latest issue of the Swedish fashion magazine Bibel may have just revealed the premise of the long-lost A.I. film. The magazine features an interview with Chris Cunningham, director of such music videos as Portishead's Only You, Madonna's Frozen and Aphex Twin's Come to Daddy. In the piece Cunningham says that he designed robots for Kubrick's A. I., being quoted as saying "I spent a year in Kubrick's house putting them together." According to the article Cunningham also says that the film is actually about a boy who is a robot." [Big thumbs up to our Swedish friend David I for the scoop!]

The dude who gave us the heads up on Cunninghan told us "I cannot think of a better director for this work." He points to two URLs where you can take a peek at Cunningham's music video work: the .mov file of the Aphex Twin video and the details about his work for Squarepusher.

Seven Arts Pictures is the production company currently holding the film rights to the book, owned by a fellow by the name of Peter Hoffman. Hoffman's held the rights for four years so far.

Now we get to see if Cunningham can do what no one else has been able to do for fifteen years: make a Neuromancer movie become a reality.

[Thanks to 'shape' for being the phenomena he is.]

December 7, 1998... Did you know that Chris Cunningham used to paint covers for the British Sci-Fi comic book 2000AD? That's where Judge Dredd made his debut, ya know.

While you mull over this new piece of information, why don't you download the video for Cunningham's Second Bad Vibel, described on the onedotzero festival Web site as "a digitally produced grunge feel based around an alien landing/robotic storyline." [Don't thank us; thank 'shape' for sharing.]

December 29, 1998... Check out the UK design magazine I.D. (No. 80, October '98, pg 183). Not only do you get to see a photo of what Cunningham looks like, but it's there in print that Aphex Twin will do the music for Neuromancer. ['Shape' has been broadcasting.]

Also of interest: Cunningham used to be called Chris Halls, and did indeed illustrate Judge Dredd for British sci-fi comic 2000 AD. [Anonymous knows his comics.]

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