Serial Killer Films: Tom Cruise Developing The Monster of Florence. Matt Damon to Star in $100 Million Torso? David Fincher Off?

Posted on Friday, September 5th, 2008 by Hunter Stephenson

Tom Cruise will produce and possibly star in an adaptation of Douglas Preston’s non-fiction bestseller, The Monster of Florence, for his studio United Artists. When Preston relocated his family to Italy in 2000, he soon became aware of a nearby murder committed years ago by the region’s serial killer, the Monster of Florence. Intrigued, he teamed up with a local obsessive investigative journalist to track him down. This culminated in the duo falling under the suspicion of authorities, with the journalist ultimately being thrown behind bars and pegged for a short time as the “Monster.”

You may recall seeing these highly engrossing events reported on Dateline NBC. Clearly, there are parallels to David Fincher’s Zodiac and its titular killer, as Italy’s elusive Monster targeted and killed seven pairs of lovers from 1974 to 1985. Author Thomas Harris found inspiration in the case for 1999’s Hannibal. No word on a director or what role Cruise would play, if he decides to star.

via Trades/Publishers Weekly

Discuss: Anyone read The Monster of Florence? Cool project for Cruise? We mentioned the Hughes Brothers’ From Hell earlier. What’s your favorite serial killer film? Maniac, anyone?

According to an article on Cleveland.com, Matt Damon is set to star as a post-Capone Eliot Ness in Torso, Paramount’s adaptation of the graphic novel by Brian Bendis and Marc Andreyko. Apparently producer Bill Mechanic would like the film to shoot in Ohio, where the famed “Torso Murderer” dismembered 12 people in the mid-to-late ’30s, but there’s a problem with tax incentives.

On top of the casting announcement, this news is surprising for three reasons: 1) Until now, Torso seemed to be in a state of flux. 2) Peter ended the silence about David Fincher’s testy ongoing relationship with Paramount per Benjamin Button, and until now, Fincher was attached to direct for the studio. Fincher is tellingly not mentioned in the piece. 3) Filming is said to start early next year in Ohio or possibly in ever-Hollywood-friendly Michigan, with a budget reportedly set at $100 million, which mirrors Zodiac’s, a box office disappointment.

Discuss: Given the macabre and difficult material (the killer was never found), this budget surprises me. If Fincher’s not directing, as we speculate, who would be a solid replacement? Damon for Ness, no complaints here from Slashfilm.

Comments

Mitch Mouse

I saw a special on tv about the Monster of Florence.The killer sexually mutilated his victims, so if they do follow the killer, I think they'll tone it down.As for the story, it's a bit more about the writer than it is the killer.

SPOILER:The writer eventually becomes the lead suspect in the investigation./SPOILER

edog

"Se7en" and "Silence of the Lambs" are both pretty much perfect films. Well scripted, well acted, well paced, with killer (pardon the pun) endings. Foster and Hopkins chewed up more scenery than Pitt or Freeman, but Kevin Spacey gives Buffalo Bill a run for his money.

Best serial killer movies ever, hands down. I couldn't pick one over the other, though.

orange cinema

i'm kinda glad fincher isn't doing torso, because of the similarites w zodiac. but these serial killer films are very cool and the real life ones are always scarier than the freddy's or jason's.

if cruise does this project it'll be a great film, though i never doubted his acting chops, just his big know-it-all mouth. nobody knows it all, and i was disapointed to learn he thinks he does. but that guy can act very well, and i like his darker roles.

mike

Damn it, I was hoping Fincher was on Torso, I hope him and Par clean things up, I want more Fincher directed, Pitt producing/staring films under Grey at Par...

Jimmy

Zodiac was a perfect film in my book. All this movie needs is some Robert Downey Jr. action.

Dexter

I agree, Zodiac is easily one of the best Serial Killer movies every made, if not the most. Of course, a lot of that is due in part to to RDJ's amazing performance. I also really liked Se7en.

Mike

Cruise = awesome bad guy

Baron Von Cheddar

Tom Cruise alone does nothing for me. He usually pairs himself with a good director ...then I get excited.

Matt Damon in Torso? Good news! I've been waiting for this movie since reading Bendis' Hollywood adventures in "Fortune & Glory", a graphic novel memoir that is right up /Film's alley.

Manhunter is my favorite serial killer movie.

Kelliot Ness

Re: torso, this is incredible news. I'm curious to hear about Fincher's participation, and if the film will follow the graphic novels visual style. As a life long fan of the real and mythic stories behind Eliot Ness, I need to find a way to PA on this baby ASAP

Oi Vey

If Fincher and Paramont are no longer the best of buds, then what about 'Black Hole'?

Liddy

Just finished Moster of Florence today...very interesting book. I really have not liked Tom Cruise in much of anything these days but I think he will do a good job as the lead role in this movie.
The story is fascinating but very graphic. They will have to tone it down a bit for the movie I think.

Edvin

I always thought that when reading Torso that it had the potential to be a great movie.
And with a budget of 100 Million $
This could shape up to be one heck of a serial killer period piece.

Matt Damon as a young 30 something Elliot Ness, great casting choice.

"Given the macabre and difficult material (the killer was never found)"

*SPOILER*
They did find the killer, but he was never arrested.
Turned out he was the son of a powerful politician.
And it got hushed down quietly if I remember correctly.
*Spoiler*

Feuer

Oh wow, I'd love to see a Torso movie and I think Damon could do an excellent job for Ness, although in a pipedream to me it would be awesome if Costner came back to do Ness since he did it in Untouchables.

Barbara Riley

This was not Eliot Ness' case, it was my grandfather's Detective J. Peter Merylo, who spent his entire life attempting to find this serial killer. He often put himself in harm's way by going undercover in an attempt to lure him. I will be very upset if Ness is given the credit for endeavoring to apprehend this murderer when he often impeded my grandfather's effort to do so.

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Serial Killer Films: Tom Cruise Developing The Monster of Florence. Matt Damon to Star in $100 Million Torso? David Fincher Off?

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