Kristen to star in "Crimes Of The Future"

David Cronenberg Sets Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux, Kristen Stewart For ‘Crimes Of The Future;’ NEON, Serendipity Point Firm Summer Start In Greece

Deadline : NEON and Serendipity Point Films have set a summer production start in Athens, Greece for Crimes of the Future, the David Cronenberg-written and directed sci-fi thriller that has locked Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux and Kristen Stewart as its stars, with Scott Speedman, Welket Bungué, Don McKellar and Lihi Kornowski also star.

This is the first original sci-fi script by Cronenberg since 1999’s eXistenZ. It sounds just as ambitious, taking a deep dive into the not-so-distant future where humankind is learning to adapt to its synthetic surroundings. This evolution moves humans beyond their natural state and into a metamorphosis, altering their biological makeup. While some embrace the limitless potential of trans-humanism, others attempt to police it. Either way, “Accelerated Evolution Syndrome”, is spreading fast. Saul Tenser is a beloved performance artist who has embraced Accelerated Evolution Syndrome, sprouting new and unexpected organs in his body. Along with his partner Caprice, Tenser has turned the removal of these organs into a spectacle for his loyal followers to marvel at in real time theatre. But with both the government and a strange subculture taking note, Tenser is forced to consider what would be his most shocking performance of all.

“I have unfinished business with the future,” Cronenberg understated.
“To work with David Cronenberg is to embark on a journey exploring terrain where no one has gone before,” said Robert Lantos, who’s producing. “Each of our collaborations has been an exhilarating adventure and David’s unwavering vision is what real cinema is all about.”

The film has been in the mix for some time, gaining attention in that it marks the fourth teaming of Cronenberg with Mortensen, including the terrific films A History of Violence and Eastern Promises. It’s real now, with NEON set to release in the U.S, as the film joins the distributor’s growing slate of recently acquisitions that include Jonas Poher Rasmussen’s Flee, the Ryan Gosling-starrer The Actor and Pablo Larraín’s Spencer.

MK2│MILE END will distribute Crimes of the Future in Canada; Rocket Science is handling International Sales.

Crimes of the Future is also the fourth collaboration between Lantos and Cronenberg, who teamed on Eastern Promises, eXistenZ and Crash. Steve Solomos is co-producer, and Panos Papahadzis is co-producer for Athens-based Argonauts Productions. Executive Producers include Joe Iacono, Thorsten Schumacher, Peter Touche, Christelle Conan, Aida Tannyan, Victor Loewy, and Victor Hadida. Bonnie Do and Laura Lanktree are Associate Producers.

Aside from Mortensen and Lantos, Cronenberg has surrounded himself with longtime collaborators that include production designer Carol Spier (Crash, Dead Ringers), and Oscar-winning composer Howard Shore (A History of Violence).

Cronenberg is repped by WME; Mortensen is repped by Rawlins Company, UTA and GGSSC; Seydoux is repped by UTA, Agence Adequat and United Agents; Stewart by WME and McKuin Frankel Whitehead. Serendipity Point Films is repped by Brecheen Feldman Breimer Silver & Thompson.

Crimes of the Future is a Serendipity Point Films and Argonauts co-production. This Canada-Greece co-production is produced in association with Ingenious Media, Coficine, and Telefilm Canada,with the support of EKOME.

Indiewire: David Cronenberg is officially returning to feature filmmaking, seven years after the release of “Maps to the Stars.” A new report from Screen Daily confirms the “Dead Ringers” and “The Fly” filmmaker is gearing up for a 30-day shoot in Greece for a new science-fiction movie titled “Crimes of the Future.” Cronenberg fans might recognize the title, as the writer-director made a film of the same name in 1970 about a dermatological clinic director searching for his mentor in the midst of a plague that has killed off women.

“Shooting will take place over 30 days from August 2 to September 10, mostly around the capital, Athens, including at the Iris cinema, Arcade of Anatolia, and harbor of Piraeus. Local Greek outfit Argonauts Productions will serve as the Greek co-producer and production service company.”

Robert Lantos, the film’s producer, told Screen Daily’s sister publications KFTV and World of Locations, “I am looking forward to returning to Greece to shoot another film with Argonauts. It has been 14 years since we shot ‘Fugitive Pieces’ in Athens, Hydra and Mitilini, an experience of which I have fond and positive souvenirs. Athens is the perfect setting for ‘Crimes of the Future’ as it is bespoke tailoring for David Cronenberg’s unique vision of a future which intermingles with the past.”

Specific plot details for Cronenberg’s new “Crimes of the Future” are remaining under wraps. Earlier this year, Cronenberg’s frequent collaborator Viggo Mortensen told GQ that they were gearing up to shoot a secret project this summer. Mortensen starred in Cronenberg’s “A History of Violence” and “Eastern Promises,” earning an Oscar nomination for Best Actor with the latter. Mortensen described his upcoming Cronenberg movie as returning to the director’s body horror origins, plus having elements of a “film noir story.”

“It’s something he wrote a long time ago, and he never got it made,” Mortensen told the magazine. “Now he’s refined it, and he wants to shoot it. Hopefully, it’ll be this summer we’ll be filming. I would say, without giving the story away, he’s going maybe a little bit back to his origins.”

As Screen Rant notes, Cronenberg’s “Crimes of the Future” is one of several high profile new productions setting up shop in Greece. Rian Johnson is also filming his “Knives Out” sequel in the country.