David Cronenberg has worked with some incredible actors over the course of his decades-long career. However, if you really want to get film fans excited, mention a project that has Cronenberg directing Viggo Mortensen. Over the course of the three films these gentlemen have worked together on, “A History of Violence,” “Eastern Promises,” and “A Dangerous Method,” they have accumulated a ton of acclaim and awards recognition. And it appears they’re reteaming yet again for a new film, with a new interview with Mortensen giving us our best tease yet at what many are hoping is a return to form for both men.

Speaking to GQ, the idea of Cronenberg and Mortensen is brought up as the latter promotes his directorial debut, “Falling.” Interestingly enough, that film does feature the two reuniting, but it’s with Mortensen behind the camera and Cronenberg acting in a small role. But what everyone is anxiously awaiting is the next film that has the two switching sides. And according to Mortensen, it’s coming soon and marks a return to the filmmaker’s “origins.”

When asked about his upcoming Cronenberg project, Mortensen teased a bit more about what fans can expect from the feature.

“It’s something he wrote a long time ago, and he never got it made,” said the actor. “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.”

Of course, when you think of Cronenberg’s “origins,” the idea of body-horror definitely comes to mind. And Mortensen, once again, teases the possibility of that being true, but also with some other influences.

“Yeah, it’s very interesting,” said Mortensen regarding the possibility of “body-horror” being involved in the film. “It’s almost like a strange film noir story. It’s disturbing and it’s good, I think. But since his origins, he’s obviously developed in terms of technique and self-assurance as a director.”

With a summer production time, it’s likely this as-of-now-untitled film project from Cronenberg and Mortensen is likely not going to be seen until 2022. That said, considering it’s been nearly seven years already since we’ve seen a new film from the director and a decade since he teamed up with Mortensen, we’re willing to wait another year or so until we see whatever they have up their sleeve next.

You can see Cronenberg in a small role in Mortensen’s “Falling,” which will be available February 5.

David Cronenberg is set to shoot a sci-fi film with the working title Crimes Of The Future in Greece this summer.

Cronenberg wrote and directed a 1970 film of the same name about the director of a dermatological clinic who goes searching for his mentor after a plague has killed off all 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 harbour of Piraeus. Local Greek outfit Argonauts Productions will serve as the Greek co-producer and production service company.


“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,” Robert Lantos, the film’s producer tells Screen’s sister publications KFTV and World of Locations.

EXCLUSIVE: 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 starring.

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 recent 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; and Stewart by WME and McKuin Frankel Whitehead. Speedman, whose credits include Lena Dunham’s Sharp Stick and Netflix’s You, is repped by CAA. 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.

It was almost a foregone conclusion that David Cronenberg would be bringing his upcoming “Crimes of the Future” to this coming May’s Cannes Film Festival.

The film is now being screened for international programmers, and I was lucky enough to find one reaction that will make absolutely every cinephile excited about the legendary director’s much-anticipated comeback vehicle…

“I cannot say much, obviously, but if people thought “Crash” was divise back in 1996, this is going to create way more chaos and controversy for sure. The last twenty minutes are a very tough sit. I expect walk-outs, faintings and real panic attacks (I almost had one myself!) at the Lumière theatre. No hyperbole, I promise.”

“Seydoux’s role is way too bonkers and RADICAL to contend for a Cannes Best Actress award in my book, but I'd love to be proven wrong. I see no precedent in Cannes for a performance of that caliber/genre gaining momentum with a jury … I mean Seydoux basically plays a (very oft-naked) Gina Pane-like artist of the near future.”

Please inject this movie into my veins right this minute.

Cronenberg hasn’t directed a film since 2014’s “Map to the Stars.” This latest one, his return to sci-fi after an almost 23 year absence, is also rumoured to the be 79-year-old’s swan song.

Extended Synopsis for”Crimes of the Future”:

“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.”

As the human species adapts to a synthetic environment, the body undergoes new transformations and mutations. With his partner Caprice (Léa Seydoux), Saul Tenser (Viggo Mortensen), celebrity performance artist, publicly showcases the metamorphosis of his organs in avant-garde performances. Timlin (Kristen Stewart), an investigator from the National Organ Registry, obsessively tracks their movements, which is when a mysterious group is revealed… Their mission – to use Saul’s notoriety to shed light on the next phase of human evolution.
Cannes Competition Official Selection 2022.

Directed by David Cronenberg
Starring Viggo Mortensen, Léa Seydoux, and Kristen Stewart

I mean Seydoux basically plays a (very oft-naked) Gina Pane-like artist of the near future.”