Here is the latest news to come out of Cannes about a Canadian / European co-production of Neuromancer, with the visionary Canadian filmmaker Vincenzo Natali in the directors chair. It seems Natali’s Neuromancer is finally moving forward. Those already familiar with this project know that it has gone through a lot of studios, directors, and writers but according to a press release, the film has secured sales from distributors at Cannes and visual effects work has already begun. Filming will begin in 2012 with locations in Canada, Istanbul, Tokyo, and London.
The 1984 cyberpunk novel by William Gibson is a seminal work in the genre and winner of the science-fiction “triple crown” — the Nebula Award, the Philip K. Dick Award, and the Hugo Award. It actually Gibson’s first novel and the beginning of the Sprawl trilogy. The book is widely regarded as foretelling certain aspects of the internet and coining the term “cyberspace.”
Natali’s directing debut came in 1997, when he was approached to direct Cube (1997). The film became a success worldwide, especially in Japan and France, grossing $15 million in France, and breaking box office records for a Canadian film. At the 19th Genie Awards, the film received five nominations and also won the award for Best Canadian First Feature at the Toronto International Film Festival. He is known mostly for last year’s critically divisive Splice, a science fiction horror film starring Adrien Brody and Sarah Polley, who portray a young scientist couple, choosing to introduce human DNA into their work of splicing animal genes.
