Alejandro Jodorowsky: King Shot

Saturday 28 March 2009

I was fairly convinced that King Shot was going to wind up another one of Jodorowski’s pie-in-the-sky ideas that never come to fruition, like his Dune adaptation, but this film actually seems to be rolling along. As far as I can tell, there hasn’t been a single frame of film shot yet but the wheels are actually in motion, it would seem. I’ve been hungry for more Jodorowsky for years so I have my fingers crossed. If anyone needs to jump back into the circuit, it’s that guy.

Ain’t It Cool News posted a video interview with Jodorowsky sourced from some Youtube channel. In it, he rambles on about his usual skewed point of view about filmmaking, which is awesome, all the while you get a look at storyboards, which show off some very elaborate sets. If this movie goes according to Jodorowsky’s vision, it’s going to be his most visually appealing movie ever.

On a final note, Harry Knowles needs to stop peppering his articles with sex references. If there’s one person on earth I would die before envisioning “post-coital”, it’s that guy. Here’s the video, yo.

The Hollywood Reporter website has reported David Lynch's company, Absurda, will be producing Jodorowsky's movie King Shot, which Marilyn Manson is set to appear in.

quote:In a separate development, Lynch's Absurda production company hasattached Asia Argento and Udo Kier to star with Nick Nolte inAlejandro Jodorowsky's metaphysical gangster movie 'King Shot.'

Marilyn Manson is touted to appear as a prophet in the 'SinCity'-style film, which producer Eric Bassett said has enough sexand violence to guarantee an NC-17 rating.

Lynch is executive producing both projects, and Absurda is reppingtheir sales rights in the Cannes market


- The Holywood Reporter

Below is more Information on King Shot and Marilyn Manson from Cinemafrenzy.com

Buried in an article on The Hollywood Reporter about Herzog and Lynch teaming up for My Son, My Son, which is huge news in itself (Lynch makes feature length films less and less often these days and Herzog was exceptionally brilliant in his heyday), they failed to point out the importance of Lynch’s company, Absurda, producing Alejandro Joworowsky’s metaphysical gangster movie, King Shot.

It’s been almost 20 years since his last film, The Rainbow Thief, but finally, Jodorowsky is returning to the director’s chair. As of now, Nick Nolte has the lead in the film, with Asia Argento, Udo Kier and Marilyn Manson also cast. Manson will play a prophet, in what is being touted as a “Sin City” styled film, destined for a NC-17 rating, based on the copious amount of sex and violence.

Manson’s involvement doesn’t come as much of a surprise, since he’s been a very outspoken fan of Jodorowsky for years. Neither does Argento and Kier’s involvement with the project, since they seem to be in every other genre project lately. Nick Nolte is the real curiosity here, since he hasn’t done anything of real merit in quite a while.

According to Anarchy and Alchemy by Ben Cobb, the film centers around “a casino in the middle of the desert, where gangsters play in a contest with fake shots [blanks]. There comes one other, who is not honest. That is one part of the story. Not all. There also comes a young gangster who is on the run [having] stolen diamonds. Back in the desert, scientists have found an enormous [prehistoric] bone. Then they discover bones everywhere in the desert. A big enormous hand. It is like King Kong. Then they close the desert because they know what it is. And the young person in the casino will dominate all the others and torture them. Everything is a story told by a beetle. There is a prophet, he came from [below the Earth] and eat the beetle.”

Apparently, Marilyn Manson’s role as the prophet will also set him as “a beautiful woman.” According to the book, King Shot is also suppose to be Jodorowsky’s last film.

Once again big thanks are due to cult legend Alejandro Jodorowsky for sharing more story boards from his upcoming "metaphysical spaghetti gangster film" King Shot, which will hopefully be moving into production soon with Nick Nolte and Marilyn Manson slated to star. Once again all of these storyboards are by conceptual artist Sylvain Despretz, whose resume includes work on Jeunet et Caro's City of Lost Children, Aronofsky's The Fountain, and a host of others.

While much of the financing for the three million dollar picture is in place - Nolte and Manson reportedly both believe so strongly in the film that they're putting up some of their own coin - they're still looking for the last few pieces to fall in place before shooting in Mexico. Potential investors or distribution partners - and investors only, he will check - can contact David Daniloff for a look at the script.

Anyway ... art. If you missed the first four storyboards you can find those here. The new images are linked below.

A while back word began to circulate that cult legend Alejandro Jodorowsky - he of El Topo fame - was moving ahead on his long rumored "metaphysical spaghetti gangster film", King Shot. Very happy to say that this is correct ...

Thanks to my Toronto After Dark compatriot David Daniloff - who brought Jodorowsky to Toronto for an event a few years back and maintains contact with him - we have confirmed that the script is 100 % complete, Marilyn Manson and Nick Nolte will star with both apparently chipping in some of their own funds, and they're looking to shoot the film on a budget of three million dollars in Mexico.

But it gets better. Jodorowsky himself has shared with us a trio of storyboards by artist Sylvain Despretz - his previous credits include The Fountain and The City of Lost Children - for the film to share with you and these look fantastic. And really, if you expected them to look anything other than fantastic you need to slap yourself hard right now. The man is a living legend for very good reason.

Provided that all goes smoothly with King Shot 2007 could prove to be a very exciting one for Jodorowsky fans, what with ABKCO Films recently announcing that newly remastered versions of Jodorowsky's El Topo, The Holy Mountain and Fando & Lis will finally be making their appearance on DVD. New Jodorowsky plus the old classics finally getting a high quality release? It's better than a kick in the teeth, that's for damn sure.

King Shot Storyboard One
King Shot Storyboard Two
King Shot Storyboard Three

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