Production has shut down on Charlie Kaufman’s ”Later the War,” no clear reasons were given to me, but cast and crew have left, and one of the Polish producers bailed.
Actors Eddie Redmayne, Tessa Thompson and Patsy Ferran were in Poland for this one, but have now left, which means we’re probably never going to see this film get made, unless the entire thing gets recast.
“Later the War” was supposed to be an adaptation of Iddo Geffen’s short story “Debby’s Dream House,” and would have continued Kaufman’s fascination, and blurring, of dreams with reality in cinema. The story follows a man who manufactures dreams for people but ultimately begins creating nightmares for them.
The project had gotten a grant from the Polish Institute of Film, and comes more than five years after the release of Kaufman’s last film “im thinking if ending things.”
Despite his critically-acclaimed films, ranging from 2008’s “Synecdoche, New York” to 2015’s “Anomalisa,” Kaufman couldn’t find sufficient funding to make “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” until Netflix reached out to help. It’s already a damn-near miracle he managed to find someone to bankroll “Later the War.”
Kaufman,” the writer behind “Being John Malkovich,” “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind,” and “Adaptation,” might now have to go back to the drawing board for his next project. I’ll probably have more details on this one later today.