In a major interview on Forbidden Planet.com director Matthew Gratzner about his plans for the upcoming big screen adaptation of Gerry Anderson's UFO (starring Fringe's Joshua Jackson) and reveals a ton of very interesting facts and ambitions for the project.
• He plans to films a trilogy of UFO films: "There are three movies planned. The first script is completed, and number two and number three are treatments - and numbers two and three are even more spectacular!"
• He's been talking to Ali Larter about being the female lead: "For the character of Virginia Lake we've talked to Ali Larter, who's very interested. I've actually met with her, and I think she would be a great addition to the picture. Lake is very strong and obviously also very feminine, and Ali Larter definitely encompasses that.”
• Despite original rumours, the film will not be set in Hollywood: "In the original script [the setting] was going to be in Hollywood, California. But I moved it to London. I'm trying to be as true to the show as possible. We are shooting principal photography - most of the film - in London. When you think of the film industry, you think of Hollywood, of course. But there was a unique and, to be frank, inconspicuous nature of having SHADO in London. London's not the centre of all film, and I liked the idea that it worked out that way. It was just too much of a leap from the original show to bring it to Hollywood.”
• He wants to use the original theme: "The current plan,” Gratzner explains. “is that Barry Gray's theme will actually be used in the picture.”
And there are loads more tantalising titbits like that in the full interview which is well worth checking out. It all sounds too good to be true. Let's hope Gratzner can walk the walk as well as talk the talk.
