Tim Burton and KLARA AND THE SUN Author Kazuo Ishiguro Team Up for Mysterious New Movie Set in Post-War Japan
Tim Burton has a mysterious new movie in the works, and he’s teaming up with an unexpected creative partner to bring it to life. The filmmaker is developing an original project with Nobel Prize-winning author Kazuo Ishiguro, best known for his acclaimed novels Never Let Me Go and Klara and the Sun.
Burton is attached to direct the untitled film from a screenplay written by Ishiguro. Details about the story are scarce, but sources say it will take place in Japan following World War II.
That’s an interesting setting for Burton, whose distinctive visual style and fascination with unusual characters could make for something pretty cool when paired with Ishiguro's storytelling.
Ishiguro confirmed the collaboration while attending the world premiere of the film adaptation of Klara and the Sun at the London Film Festival. He also revealed that the project is an entirely original story rather than an adaptation of one of his novels.
The film is still in the early stages of development, with no distributor or cast members attached. The current plan is to develop the project further, assemble a cast, and eventually bring it to potential buyers.
While it’s unclear whether this will become Burton’s next feature film, the project has reportedly been getting much of his attention since production wrapped on Season 3 of Netflix’s hit series Wednesday.
Ishiguro has also established himself as a screenwriter. He most recently wrote the screenplay for Living, the acclaimed drama starring Bill Nighy. His work often explores memory, identity, and human relationships, which could make for an interesting combination with Burton's imaginative approach to filmmaking.
There’s also a fun connection between the two creators through Jenna Ortega. The Wednesday star is set to appear in the upcoming adaptation of Klara and the Sun, directed by Taika Waititi. The film is making its world premiere at the London Film Festival before its wider release.
Burton and Ishiguro certainly make for an intriguing creative team. Both have a talent for telling stories about complicated characters navigating strange and sometimes unsettling circumstances, even if their approaches are quite different.
A Tim Burton movie set in post-World War II Japan, written by Kazuo Ishiguro, has plenty of potential. I'm particularly curious to see what kind of story these two come up with and how Burton might approach a period of Japanese history he hasn't explored before.