Hasta La Ideas

Somewhere, perhaps in a cave lined with turn of the century doll heads, Tim Burton and Johnny Depp have gotten together to drink, weep, and scream, “Why didn’t we think of that?!” The “that” in question, of course, is a movie based on the life of surrealist painter Salvador Dali. The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting that a German-Australian financed production of a film about the artists’ life is preparing for production, with Alan Cumming in the title role and directed by Australian director, Philippe Mora (whose IMDb listing is a hoot, a mix of high-brow documentaries and slightly less cultured fare, like Howling II: Your Sister is a Werewolf. While the film’s budget is low, coming in at a reported $15 million, the current plan is to shoot it in 3D, a variation on the stereoscopic images the artist himself enjoyed creating. Shooting is to begin this summer in locations around the world. Here’s a bit about the plot:

The screenplay unfolds not as a linear narrative but as a series of dream-like, fantasy sequences intersected with reality, and is profoundly evocative of Dali’s art. The story – not a bio-pic but without doubt a life story – begins with the painter in a hospital bed, recovering from near-fatal injuries after a house fire.

…Chronicled in the film are his friendships with his mentor, Picasso, and the poet Lorca, his bisexuality and obsession with Gala. He was also infatuated with the controversial singer and performer Amanda Lear, whose mysterious mix of masculinity and womanly beauty has intrigued Europe for decades.

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