In a couple of weeks, Baltasar Kormákur‘s Everest will introduce moviegoers to the visceral, unforgivable environment atop the world’s highest peak – and the real-life tragedy that inspired it – though the director is already thinking further afield. Don’t be fooled into thinking that the Icelandic filmmaker will want to helm a cozy rom-com as a respite from this month’s icy thriller, because as the man himself revealed to Empire, Kormákur’s new projects will look to retain that gripping intensity.
Currently, the director has two future projects vying for his attention. The first is a war epic that he tentatively refers to as Vikingr, one which has flirted with development for nigh on ten years at this point. According to the 2 Guns helmer, the Viking-themed project would delve into the lore of the age-old civilization in a way that has not yet be done in a mainstream Hollywood film; that is, explore the rich culture and their means of surviving, rather than portray them as drunk and barbaric stereotypes.
“I’ve got an oil-spill movie coming up and a Viking movie,” he revealed. “The Viking project is another big one, [and] we’re working on both scripts.” The former rekindles an idea that Kormákur was forced to abandon in pre-production when Mel Gibson’s ultimately-abortive movie was announced. “I had this project ten years ago, when Lord Of The Rings and all these things were coming out,” he rues. “I made this Viking story and I got the biggest support from the Iceland Film Fund, but I realised I couldn’t really create the world I wanted. I could only make a small version of it. [Mel Gibson’s version] really fucked me up, you know? Because I was no Mel Gibson, put it that way.”
Going off of these comments, we assume that the Viking movie will take precedent for Kormákur, who only makes a fleeting reference to the second project, one which is said to revolve around an oil-spill. Again, there’s little-to-no information regarding the project at the time of writing, but if it does indeed ape his approach to Everest and center on a real-life event, it could be one to keep an eye on.
Baltasar Kormákur‘s Everest opens on September 18.
