I recently stumbled upon a very exciting article: "Guillermo Del Toro Finally Arrives 'At The Mountains of Madness'! Best Movies News of The Year?" This is exciting for me on two different levels: one, the fact that an H.P. Lovecraft work is finally getting a chance at the big screen, and two, Guillermo Del Toro is the one that's attempting to do it.
While I have never actually read anything by Lovecraft, I have grown up with his works. My older brother, MarQ (his preferred spelling and a general indication of his love for the weird), has been a fan for as long as I can remember. MarQ has read almost everything under the sun by Lovecraft and is a devoted fan of the intricate mythos he has created. I would often over hear him and his friends ranting and raving about their latest reads when I was younger (MarQ is eight years older than me). I grew up with Cthulu as a daily reference. To say the least, I credit my brother with my interest in the weird and creepy.
When I discussed this movie plan with him, MarQ all but squealed with excitement. Guillermo Del Toro is the perfect fit for such a creepy tale. Del Toro has often cited Lovecraft as an inspiration for the wonderfully dark and twisted creatures he creates in his films. Cthulu is easily the most recognizable inspiration and is described in the following excerpt from Lovecraft's short story, The Call of Cthulu: "...an octopus, a dragon, and a human caricature.... A pulpy, tentacled head surmounted a grotesque scaly body with rudimentary wings." The image featured on the Cthulu Wikipedia page:
If you are familiar with Del Toro's films, it's easy to see how he incorporates Lovecraft's imagery into his work. In the film Hellboy, the reincarnating beast Sammael has very similar physical qualities to Cthulu.
I'm super excited to see what Del Toro has in store for this film. At the moment, the project is shelves as Del Toro finds a willing studio to finance the film. But since James Cameron is involved, I predict it won't take long.
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