The duo of director/writer David Lowery and actor Casey Affleck of indie drama Ain’t Them Bodies Saints are working together on a new project: an artsy, sci-fi short story adaptation called To Be Two. THR reports that Affleck will star again in the Lowery-directed film, adapted by Lowery himself from the Paul Broks short story To Be Two or Not To Be.
Broks’ original story concerns itself with questions of the self, in a world where a form of teleportation has successfully been invented. However, only a digital version of one’s self exists once teleported, as the original person is vaporized. Comparisons are already being made between Lowery’s adaptation of the short story and Rian Johnson’s Looper, given the similar subject matter.
Lowery’s Saints premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Cinematography Award in the U.S. Dramatic Category and was even nominated for the Grand Jury Prize. The film’s limited release in theaters began on August 16th, and it continues to garner positive reviews that cite its innovate visuals.
Affleck, who stars in Saints as an outlaw who escapes from prison to re-unite with his wife and daughter, can be seen starring in Scott Cooper’s upcoming thriller Out of the Furnace this December. The actor, who was nominated for an Academy Award for his supporting role in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, has also been cast in Christopher Nolan’s next film, Interstellar.
Lowery has booked multiple projects since Saints premiered at Sundance in January, including Disney’s new version of Pete’s Dragon. Personally, my film-loving heart is happy to see a continued tradition of successful filmmakers from Sundance going on to write and direct mainstream films. Considering Saints, To Be Two, and Pete’s Dragon, it doesn’t seem as if Lowery is committed to any one genre and won’t be slowing down anytime soon.
