Oh, Crap! What's Next?

By now you have seen the report from Variety - GDT has committed to a four picture deal with Universal. So what does this mean exactly for the future? Specifically, you might be asking, 'What happened to Hellboy III?' or 'What about Mountains of Madness?'

Here are the movies GDT has committed to, according to the Variety article:

• Frankenstein
• Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
• Slaughterhouse Five
• Drood

The deal goes up until 2017, so that means, at most, shooting four movies in a little more than five years (after Hobbit production ends). Wow - that seems like a tall order. I wonder if maybe Guillermo has "dibs" on these movies and he gets done what he can in that time frame. If so, then what we see from Guillermo in the next 10 years may come down to priorities. Since Guillermo would probably never tip his hand publicly, here is how I see GDT's priorities for the next decade.

1. The Hobbit - no doubt about this one. Guillermo is going to ride this hoopty until the wheels fall off. Definitely a passion project for him, and one that he is sure-fire committed to completing as his next project.

2. Hellboy III. "What?", you say. Well, this is about Guillermo's priorities - and I see his #2 priority being to complete the Hellboy trilogy. This is his passion project, and I know he desperately wants to complete the circle. It is a long shot, but there is definitely, a chance that Hellboy could return. HB2 is doing very well overseas, and as Guillermo has said publicly, Universal is still waiting to make a decision until "the last euro has dropped". Guillermo's long term commitment to Universal could be a "gesture of faith" to the studio in hopes they will continue to support his pet project. Don't rule it out - HB3 could happen.

3. Drood. I know GDT is a fan of Dickens and this shows promise to include one of GDT's favorite literary figures and mix it with some gothic themes - we'll know more when the book comes out. I have this ranked next mainly because of Guillermo's appreciation for Dickens (he has referenced him many times - so I'm assuming he's a fan!) and because Universal execs have reported they believe this would be a likely film to follow The Hobbit.

4. Frankenstein. I see this as next on the list. I believe Guillermo has a strong connection with this project (he is a big-time Frankenstein afficionado). And I think this project has the perfect mix of fantasy, horror, and weighty themes that GDT loves to explore. Plus Universal would love to get a big $$$ project from Guillermo right out of the gate, and I think Frankenstein fits the bill.

5. Slaughterhouse-Five. Given GDT's pattern of alternating between big studio popcorn movies and art-house films, I see Vonnegut's masterpiece coming up next. Of all the films on Guillermo's plate, I think this one has the best chance for an Academy Award. The book is a beautifully powerful science fiction novel, and I think Guillermo is anxious to show his cinematic chops on this one, not to mention get a chance to wear his emotions on his sleeve.

6. ATMOM. I think the previously mentioned films will take Guillermo right up until 2017, so he might get a chance to shake things up a bit. I think by this point, depending on the success of the previous films (specifically Frankenstein), GDT has a chance to convince Universal to do At The Mountains of Madness. I say he "gives it the old college try" once more. If unsuccessful, he moves on to either Jekyll or Saturn and the End of Days.

This priority list probably goes beyond the year 2017, so I'm banking on an "extension". Keep in mind I have no "inside" info from Guillermo - this was just a fun guess on what might be next based on my own opinions and circumstantial evidence. We'll have to check back in 10 years and see how much I got right (if any!)