The original story about a group of scientists who are reduced to microscopic size and injected via ship into the body of an ill colleague is taking on a new dimension in the version now in active development for 20th Century Fox. As first reported by Deadline Cameron, busy with two sequels to Avatar among other projects, does not plan to direct and Shawn Levy (Real Steel) is attached as the helmer.
“I gave him my idea about how this should be turned into a love story and he’s really run with it,” says Cameron who noted that the script (originally written by Shane Salerno) with its complex premise has to be just right before it can get to the production level. Cameron says it’s about two thirds of the way there so far in the development process. Much like Titanic the new Voyage has a real emotional core to it, basically dealing with a doctor going through troubled times in his marriage who finds himself injected into his gravely ill wife in order to save her life. Apparently once he gets to the brain things really heat up.Compared to the original the possiblities of this re-imagination are quite intriguing. And of course with the massive advances in filmmaking technology in the 45 years since Richard Fleischer’s version, Fantastic Voyage is truly ripe for a reboot.
A few weeks ago Levy told me he’s working hard on it and does seem genuinely excited to get this in front of the cameras at some point but it isn’t necessarily his next project.
And who will star in this movie? Over six months ago Will Smith's name had been floated around. Stories had circulated that Levy would make this his next project if he could get Smith to sign on, but apparently who took a pass. Also rumored is that Levy won't make the film unless he has an A level star in the lead. In addition, James Cameron was pushing Levy to look a lesser named stars like he did with
Avatar.
The last name attached to the film was Hugh Jackman who recently made
Real Steel with Levy, and that has had success based on the modest budget Levy had to work with. However, no name is currently signed on for the project. By the way I think Levy is a good choice for the project, and I think he could give it tone like Dennis Quaid's
Innerspace. Another great movie about miniaturizing a human being, that also starred the hilarious Martin Short.