In many respects, the union of Jim Carrey and Eli Roth makes a lot of sense. Both have crafted curious careers for themselves, and continue to return to our screens, with new and unexpected projects. They are both exciting creators – not just because of their unpredictable choices, but because their work is so resoundingly hit-and-miss. When they succeed, it is excellent, but when they fail, it is forgettable – and you can never quite be sure which will be which. Now that Aleister Arcane is bringing them together, however, the finished film will hopefully feature at the successful end of that spectrum.
Aleister Arcane is based upon the 2004 graphic novel of the same name, written by Steve Niles. The author is no stranger to cinematic adaptations of his work – having created 30 Days Of Night (and having written the screenplay for it), and having a further three properties currently optioned for movie development. An Aleister Arcane film has been in the works for over a decade – and it has taken collaboration between Amblin Entertainment and Eli Roth to get it to the point of casting announcements.
The story centres on local TV horror host, Aleister Arcane, whose life is ruined when disgruntled and disapproving parents in his community force him off the air. As he adjusts to his unexpected life of leisure, a range of horrors begin to unfold throughout the town. He has, in fact, cursed the town, and it falls to a group of children – essentially his fans – to try to break the terrifying incantation.
As hit-and-miss as the projects of Jim Carrey and Eli Roth are separately, their union on this film makes it an incredibly exciting prospect – largely because this title character is exactly the type of role in which Carrey shines and, while it has not been officially confirmed that this is the role he has been cast in, it is a fair assumption to make, given that he is also executive producing the venture. Carrey is an extraordinary performer, who has the ability to disappear into a role and bring the deeply creepy and sinister vibe when required. Add to that the proven master of the macabre, Eli Roth, and his tendency to create unsettling tension and unflinching scares, and you have all the ingredients for Aleister Arcane to become something very special indeed.
