According to Deadline, Universal is ready to pick up Joseph Kosinski‘s Oblivion. The film is based on the graphic novel which Kosinski wrote and apparently, Universal is also eyeing Tom Cruise to star in it, which is funny seeing as they just killed At The Mountains Of Madness, which was going to be directed by Guillermo del Toro and was also set to star Cruise.
Oblivion, while I haven’t read it, sounds really neat, it’s “set in a future where the Earth’s surface has been irradiated beyond recognition and the remnants of humanity live above the clouds, safe from the brutal alien Scavengers that stalk the ruins. But when surface drone repairman Jak discovers a mysterious woman in a crash-landed pod, it sets off an unstoppable chain of events that will force him to question everything he knows.”
Now the studio has stated that the film must be made for $100 million and with a PG-13 rating. They’re obviously hoping for it to take the tent pole slot and it will act as a replacement for del Toro’s film which carried a larger budget ($150 million) and a R rating. Oblivion was previously at Disney but they had to let it go when Kosinski refused to knock the rating down to PG. He felt that it just couldn’t be done.
If Cruise signs on, he would begin work on it after he’s done rocking out in Adam Shankman‘s Rock Of Ages. Although I didn’t care at all for TRON: Legacy, this project sounds really interesting and with Cruise attached, it could turn out to be a massive hit. Plus, if Cruise signs on, he’ll undoubtedly attract some solid talent to the film.
We’ll keep you posted.
