Filmmaker Paul W.S. Anderson is kicking off an all-new universe with his upcoming Monster Hunter, based on the video game series, but if you’re hoping that a renewed interest in his career could result in him returning to projects he was previously involved in, we wouldn’t count on it, as he recently confirmed that he has no plans to revisit the world of Event Horizon for either a sequel or the announced TV show. The filmmaker detailed that, despite the film initially being met with negative reactions in 1997, it has grown a passionate following over the years since release due to its ambiguous themes, as he noted that any return would potentially take away from those mysteries and diminish the appeal of the original movie.
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“That’s not something I’m involved in. I didn’t really have any interest in returning to the world of Event Horizon,” Anderson shared with ComicBook.com about the upcoming TV series. “I’m immensely proud of the movie we made. And especially because when the movie was released, I felt it didn’t get a fair shake. I don’t think it was really perceived critically or commercially as well as I thought it could have been. And then slowly over time, it’s really built a very avid following and I’m immensely proud of that. And, for that reason, I didn’t want to go back to the same world and ruin it for anybody.”
He continued, “I want to leave it alone because I’m really proud of what we did. And I want to just let that stand, because I think it’s become a stronger piece of work over time. In many ways … it’s funny, the things that maybe handicapped us when we first released the movie, the fact that it doesn’t tie up all the loose ends, there are ambiguities in the story, but it’s something you can discuss and talk about. Those were weaknesses at the time, but I think they have been strengths over time and I didn’t want to go back and answer all the questions presented by the movie, you know?”
In the years since the film came out, Anderson has expressed his disappointment over the experience, as his original vision ran more than two hours, but the studio pressured him to cut it to a more traditional horror-movie length, ultimately running just over 90 minutes. Sadly, the cut footage is believed to be destroyed, making a director’s cut of the story seem implausible. However, Scream Factory is currently searching for as much footage from the project they can find to include in the upcoming Collector’s Edition Blu-ray release.
Luckily, fans can dive into an all-new world from Anderson with Monster Hunter later this year.
The film is described, “Behind our world, there is another: a world of dangerous and powerful monsters that rule their domain with deadly ferocity. When an unexpected sandstorm transports Lt. Artemis (Milla Jovovich) and her unit (TI Harris, Meagan Good, Diego Boneta) to a new world, the soldiers are shocked to discover that this hostile and unknown environment is home to enormous and terrifying monsters immune to their firepower. In their desperate battle for survival, the unit encounters the mysterious Hunter (Tony Jaa), whose unique skills allow him to stay one step ahead of the powerful creatures. As Artemis and Hunter slowly build trust, she discovers that he is part of a team led by the Admiral (Ron Perlman). Facing a danger so great it could threaten to destroy their world, the brave warriors combine their unique abilities to band together for the ultimate showdown.”
Monster Hunter is currently slated to hit theaters on December 30th. Stay tuned for details on the Event Horizon TV series from Godzilla vs. Kong director Adam Wingard.
Would you like to see Anderson return to Event Horizon? Let us know in the comments below or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!
