Richard Kelly Heading to 'Corpus Christi'

I think as time goes on, I'm increasingly in the minority when I count myself as a pretty big Richard Kelly fan. Sure, everybody seems to have a soft spot for Donnie Darko, but his follow-up film, Southland Tales, was pretty widely hated (I've never met anybody other than myself who likes that one), and The Box seemed to be largely overlooked. That was probably at least partially as a result of Southland Tales being such a bomb.

Everyone looks cooler on a giant projection screen.

So the question is, will people give Kelly's next project much of a chance? One way he's trying to make that a possibility is to go with a more straightforward tale than what we're used to seeing from him, according to Variety. Kelly's next film—which, as per usual, he'll write and direct—will be called Corpus Christi. Keep reading to get an idea of what it'll be about.

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Do Not Open 'The Box' Until November 6th

Whether he deserved it or not, Richard Kelly inhereted major expectations from moviegoers after Donnie Darko. Tough to throw all of that on a guy who had to work outside the system to get his rookie film made, no matter how good it is and even if he is 26 years old.

But Kelly kept people waiting about five years for his follow-up, and I'm of the opinion that Southland Tales was a major, major disappointment. His third film is the upcoming The Box, based on an 80's Twilight Zone episode written by I Am Legend writer and sci-fi dignitary Richard Matheson. It stars Cameron Diaz and recent Oscar nominee Frank Langella, and it's essentially a morality play: Press this button and somebody you know dies. For your trouble, you'll get enough cash to choke a camel. Then, we'll take the box away and someone else gets to press the button. Could be you on the wrong end of the deal next time.

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New Trailer for Richard Kelly's 'The Box'

Were it not for Southland Tales, I think more people would be excited about The Box, the next film from Donnie Darko director Richard Kelly.

Kelly has updated the short story/teleplay by Richard Matheson called Button, Button, which involves a magic killing device, Cameron Diaz, and Frank Langella...or most of Frank Langella, anyway. He presents Diaz and her husband (James Marsden) with an opportunity to make a great deal of money...simply by pressing a button. Of course, if there's no such thing as a free lunch, there's no such thing as a free wad of cash, either.

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'Donnie Darko' Sequel Not Just a Bad Dream

If you're going to Cannes this month, be on the lookout for a script called S. Darko, which according to Screen Daily is billed as the sequel to the 2001 cult hit Donnie Darko. Yep, you too could grab the international distribution rights for the sequel. How exciting is that?

Well, it's decidedly less exciting when you learn that Richard Kelly, who wrote and directed the original, won't be involved. Or, perhaps, after Southland Tales, that's not such a bad thing. So if Richard Kelly is out of the loop, obviously, there'll be no Jake Gyllenhaal. However, for this decreasingly intriguing sequel, Daviegh Chase will be back as Donnie's younger sister, Samantha, hence the S. Darko. Chase's best moment in film was without question as Samara, the creepy kid from The Ring.

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