CriterionCast

Danny Huston Heads To Tijuana For Day Of The Dead

According to Deadline, actor Danny Huston is currently putting together financing at the Cannes Film Festival (where he is doing press for Robin Hood, in which he stars as King Richard) for a new film, entitled Day of the Dead. The film is based on Kent Harrington’s 1997 novel, and is described as a ‘seedy tale set in Tijuana, sort of like Casablanca, about a group of ex-pats hunting for the Fat Man.’

This may sound like an interesting project in and of itself, but cinefiles will remember that not only is the actor the son of the legendary John Huston, but his father too did his own take on the Day of the Dead story, the brilliant Under the Volcano. Volcano (Criterion 410) followed the last day in the life of British consul Geoffrey Firmin, given a legendary performance by Albert Finney, while in a small Mexican town during the Day of the Dead celebration. The Criterion disc of Under the Volcano also features an audio commentary track with Danny Huston speaking over the opening credits, describing being on set during the filming, as well as being allowed to shoot the opening sequence of the film. (Readers, you can hear our podcast discussion of John Huston’s Under The Volcano here.)

Now, this film would be one that I would be anticipating with or without the father son connection, but the idea of Danny Huston taking on a subject that was fodder for a film made by his father is really intriguing. If this project is half the film his father’s was, we are in for one hell of a treat. The film should get in front of cameras relatively soon, as Huston is only set to star in the film Playoff, which is set to go in front of cameras in late June. No official shoot date is set, but it should be sooner, rather than later, or so we all can hope.

Source: Deadline

Image: From the opening of Under the Volcano, shot by Danny Huston. Courtesy of the Criterion Collection.

Joshua Brunsting

Josh is a critic, a member of the Online Film Critics Society, a wrestling nerd, a hip-hop head, a father, a cinephile and a man looking to make his stamp on the world, one word at a time.