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Before the cancellation of At the Mountains of Madness, Guillermo del Toro and James Cameron almost collaborated on The Coffin, and it could have been amazing.
Guillermo del Toro almost collaborated with James Cameron on a screen adaptation of the Frankenstein-like a series of comics The coffin, but the movie never happened. Today, the most infamous unrealized collaboration between these two legendary filmmakers is To the mountains of madness, an adaptation of HP Lovecraft that would have finally seen the mythology of Cthulhu given the awe-inspiring cinematic interpretation it has long deserved. However, a film version of The coffin would have given del Toro and Cameron a different but equally unique story to adapt, and given them the chance to bring a gothic / sci-fi variation of the Frankenstein story on the big screen.
When it comes to genre cinema, del Toro and Cameron are arguably two of the most visionary directors working today. Guillermo del Toro’s filmography is deeply rooted in dark fantasy and unique twists on sci-fi and horror, with films like Blade 2, Hellboy and The shape of water often combining all three approaches. He is known to have been attached to several non-produced projects over the years, including his portrayal of The Hobbit. James Cameron’s cinematic work also includes some of the most conceptual and financially successful films of all time, including Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Avatar.
Any collaboration between these two titans would likely be a genre-defining cinematic event, and such an event almost happened over a decade ago when the two teamed up to make To the mountains of madness. When disagreements over the film’s budget and rating reached an impasse with the studio, the project was canceled. However, long before the duo’s Lovecraft opus was shelved, a del Toro / Cameron collaboration nearly happened when the two expressed interest in adapting Phil Hester and Mike’s cult comic series. Huddleston, The coffin.
On the shelves in 2001, The coffin was a modern fusion of Frankenstein with a steampunk aesthetic. The plot centers on a scientist named Dr. Ashtar Ahmad, who invented a high-tech metal suit capable of trapping and preserving a human soul. Unfortunately, Ahmad’s benefactor becomes paranoid, the scientist will share his research and send assassins to kill him. Before he can die, Ahmad manages to transplant his soul into the suit and sets out to fight the man who wanted him dead. Based on a retrospective of Unspeakable horror, shortly after its publication, The coffin caught the eye of producer James Cameron, who picked him up for a screen adaptation through his company Lightstorm Entertainment.
Unsurprisingly to those familiar with his storytelling tastes, Guillermo del Toro was immediately interested in joining the project as a writer / director. The then booming filmmaker finished production on Blade 2 at the time, and although a screenplay was submitted for The coffin, the project quickly entered development hell. While the film’s failure was never fully explained, many believe del Toro feared losing the opportunity to direct. Hellboy and chose to pursue this dream project instead. 20 years later, Lightstorm Entertainment apparently retains the adaptation rights The coffin, but Guillermo del Toro and James Cameron are unlikely to have the opportunity to team up and finally bring it to the big screen.
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