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'Mr. Robot' creator turns sci-fi legend 'Metropolis' into a series
Sam Esmail is apparently taking a very unusual strategy for his next big project beyond Mr. Robot: he's tackling one of the earliest sci-fi epics. Hollywood Reporter sources say that Esmail is creating a miniseries based around Metropolis, Fritz Lang's classic 1927 film about a dystopic society. The show is still very early (Esmail may need to finish Mr. Robot before devoting his full attention), but partner Universal Cable Productions is apparently willing to give it a budget fitting Metropolis' pioneering visuals. Reportedly, the company would be willing to spend a whopping $10 million per episode, and is willing to shop it around to numerous providers, including streaming services.
Metropolis gets twenty-five minutes of lost footage, please don't tell Giorgio Moroder
Metropolis, Fritz Lang's 1927 epic, predated many of our own cinematic obsessions by decades. At over two and a half hours this heady mix of dystopian science fiction and German Expressionism divided critics upon its initial release, even as it is now universally praised. Indeed, as a result of its length (not to mention the squeamishness of American distributors) the thing has been variously edited (cannibalized) over the years, to the point where it was doubtful that we would ever get to see it the way that the director intended. That's why we were psyched when we came across this clip from BBC's Newsnight detailing the discovery of what is presumed to be a copy of the original director's print, which was taken to Argentina by a private collector in 1928, where it sat until discovered in an archive of the Museum of Cinema in Buenos Aires in June, 2008. Wild, huh? Hit the source link to watch the clip.
Kino Lorber announces The Complete Metropolis Blu-ray with newly recovered footage
Film lovers should add another must-buy to their list, now that The Complete Metropolis is coming to Blu-ray for the first time on November 16. This version includes the recently recovered 25 minutes of extra footage that debuted in theaters earlier this year after being lost for 80 years since its debut in 1927. The lost footage couldn't be completely restored to match the quality of the rest, but fans of this classic silent film should still appreciate the experience, including the original score presented in DTS-HD MA 5.1 surround, and a 50-minute Voyage to Metropolis documentary in high definition. If you've somehow avoided references to Fritz Lang's classic in films like The Matrix, check out the trailer after the break, or another cut of the movie that's currently available on Netflix Watch Instantly.
