Just a couple of weeks ago, Total Film caught up with Bradley Cooper at Sundance 2012, where he talked excitedly about playing the Devil in a movie version of Paradise Lost. Sadly, it looks like he’ll be waiting around for a while.
Director Alex Proyas’ movie version of John Milton’s epic poem already looked to be in trouble earlier this year when its January 2012 shooting date was pushed back to the summer.
Now it looks like Paradise Lost has been shelved for good. The decision was made by financiers Legendary, who were attempting to squeeze the film’s budget down to a more manageable $120m.
Deadline report that the expensive visuals effects are mostly to blame, with hope that Lost could get resurrected sometime in the future when SFX are less costly.
Paradise Lost is just the latest in a number of extravagant films given the kibosh thanks to corporate bean-counters – Arthur & Lancelot and The Lone Ranger were both stalled over budgetary concerns.
With Lost sounding like the definition of the word 'epic', it's a massive disappointment to hear that we won't get to see it for a very long time - if ever. Fingers crossed that Proyas and Cooper keep fighting for it.
