The film adaptation of David Mitchell‘s Cloud Atlas, which is written and directed by the Wachowski siblings & Tom Tykwer, is something to keep your eye out for. It’s odd enough that three very unique filmmakers are directing the same movie together, but it gets even weirder when you look at the source material. The novel has six main characters, all of whom live in very different time periods and locations; taking that to the big screen is a dicey proposition, but they’re brave (crazy?) enough to attempt it right now. The cast is pretty interesting, too, being comprised of Tom Hanks, Hugo Weaving, Ian McKellan, Halle Berry, Ben Whishaw, Susan Sarandon, Jim Broadbent and James McAvoy, and the idea of them all getting together for the same project is pretty cool.

Speaking to The Herald Sun (via Filmonic and ThePlaylist), Weaving gave out a few brief details on the movie, and it makes it sound even crazier than initially assumed. He said that the movie is “really exciting,” due to the fact that “all the actors will be playing more than one role.” His most interesting comment came when he said that he has “six characters in the same film and they are all different people in six different stories.”

Considering that the book’s plot description says that the characters “hear each other’s echoes down the corridor of history,” this makes perfect sense from a storytelling standpoint: By having the leads show up all over the place, their presence can come across in both a thematic and visual/aural sense. You’ll not only recognize these people from before, but it could leave something of the same effect that the characters experience themselves.

I’m not really sure what to make of the movie as a whole. It’s certainly going to be interesting, no matter how it turns out, but there’s a good chance that this will be a complete disaster. I’ve lost just about all of my faith in the Wachowskis after their last few movies, and I’m not sure if Tykwer would be able to carry a lot of the movie’s weight if the siblings go down a wrong path. But, again: I figure that this whole thing will be fascinating either way, so I’m looking forward to seeing this all come together (and possibly fall apart).

What do you think of Weaving’s comments? Does it make you more excited for the movie, or do you think it won’t turn out well?