River Phoenix, considered by many to be one of the very best actors of his generation, passed away in tragic circumstances at the tender age of 23 in 1993. After already having worked with such directors as Steven Spielberg, Peter Weir and Gus Van Sant, he presumably would have gone on to have a long and illustrious career but one fatal drug overdose cut his career short.

Being so hot at the time, it’s not surprising he was in the process of shooting a film before passing away. That film was Dark Blood, directed by the Dutchman George Sluizer. What does come as surprising news, however, is that the director plans to revive the film, 18 years after cameras stopped rolling on it.

Sluizer, who was working on the film with Phoenix at the time, has re-edited the movie and is positive it will work with a few adjustments. One such adjustment is a voice over, and the director wants River‘s brother, Joaquin, to do the honours, as “the voices of the two brothers very much alike”, according to Sluizer.

Synopsis:

“[River] Phoenix plays a hermit living in the desert on a nuclear testing site as he waits for the end of the world. When a Hollywood jet-set couple (played by Judy Davis and Jonathan Pryce) arrives to find shelter, he begins a troubled relationship with the wife.”

Sluizer, who hasn’t made a film since 2002, hopes to release Dark Blood next year.

Were you a fan of River Phoenix? Are you excited at the prospect of seeing him in a new role?

[THR]

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