Pedro Almodovar Plans A ‘50s Style SF Movie Like Invasion Of The Body Snatchers
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Pedro Almodovar isn’t a name that springs readily to mind when I think “science fiction,” but the Spanish director says he wants to try his hand at the genre. More specifically, he says he’d like to make a movie inspired by classic 1950s science fiction films like Invasion of the Body Snatchers.
Speaking at BAFTA in London, Almodovar dished on his planned sci-fi excursion:
I am still young enough to make a science fiction movie. I have ideas for this genre. The way I would like to do it is present something impossible in a real, domestic way. One of the scripts on my desk is of that genre, so I hope to make that.
I’m not sure why there should be an age cap on making a science fiction movie, but whatever. It’s always intriguing to see a director step outside their comfort zone, or at least the area that they’re best known for exploring. Am I saying Almodovar would definitely make a good science fiction movie? Not at all, he could totally blow it. But I’d still be more interested in seeing his ambitious failure than, say, The Watch 2.
I think it’s also telling that Almodovar says his idea is inspired by classic ‘50s science fiction movies. When you think back to that era, the SF movies that spring to mind are things like The Day the Earth Stood Still, Forbidden Planet, and the aforementioned Invasion of the Body Snatchers. While those flicks all had decent special effects at the time, they were very much stories rooted in ideas rather than merely spectacle. If Almodovar does make good on his science fiction plans, I can easily see him producing a film in the same vein.
At any rate, it will like be a while before we see Almodovar’s proposed SF movie. The director explained, “I live with my stories for many years. I write more like a novelist than a screenwriter.”
