Guillermo del Toro shared CGI test footage from his canceled H.P. Lovecraft adaptation, At the Mountains of Madness.
In the 25-second clip, which can be viewed below, Del Toro brings one of Lovecraft's freakiest monsters to life. Judging by the quality of the clip, it seemed like the film was pretty far along in pre-production before Universal ultimately passed on the project. Tom Cruise was initially set to star as the lead, Dr. William Dyer of Miskatonic University, who serves as the novella's narrator.
James Cameron was set to work on the film with del Toro directing in 3D. Universal, worried about the R-rating and $150 million budget, pulled the plug at the last second. The studio was reportedly worried about the movie's similarity in plot to Ridley Scott's Prometheus, due out the following year.
In 2021, del Toro revealed that the movie had been pitched to Netflix, and that he intends to make it "smaller" and "weirder" should the streamer decide to greenlight the project.
At the Mountains of Madness is a science fiction horror novella written by Lovecraft in 1931. The story follows the events of a deadly expedition to Antarctica, and the monsters the explorers encounter along the way.
Del Toro's horror anthology series Cabinet of Curiosities, which features several Lovecraft stories, just hit Netflix last month. His animated adaptation of Pinocchio is set to hit the streaming platform on December 9.
For more, check out our list of the best Netflix movies to stream right now, or, check out our roundup of the best Netflix shows.
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