The idea of cryogenically freezing a human is played up one of two ways in Hollywood, either for laughs (Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Idiocracy) or an over the top means to an end (Demolition Man). It feels like it’s been awhile since cryogenics was a plot point to a movie, but it’s making its return to the silver screen….and in the hands of one of the most influential documentary filmmakers in the history of the medium.
The New York Observer of all places reported yesterday that Errol Morris has signed on to direct the feature adaptation of the Robert F. Nelson memoir We Froze the First Man, a first hand account of freezing the first man alive by the man who invented the cryogenics technology.
For additional oomph, the project is also taking part of its inspiration from a 2008 This American Life segment entitled “You’re Cold as Ice”. The script is currently being written by Zack Helm who is perhaps best known for penning the 2006 Will Ferrell vehicle Stranger than Fiction.
On the same day, the first casting announcement for the project came courtesy of The Hollywood Reporter. Paul Rudd, who you may remember as that guy your girlfriend wishes you would look/act like, has signed on to star in the project. While THR doesn’t seem to know which character he’ll play, The Washington Post chimed in and said that Rudd has signed on to play Nelson, not the dying man who became the first cryogenic subject.
Regardless of who Rudd plays, this is an interesting story worth telling. I assume that Helm will be embellishing the story a little bit to make for a more appealing feature film, but considering that cryogenics is essentially a joke to many people who watch a lot of movies, I want to see an approach that takes the material somewhat seriously. Not that I think cryogenics is a worthwhile pursuit or anything, but the fact that people actually do this is just so fascinating. Part of me kind of wishes Morris was making an actual documentary about it. But I’ll settle for Rudd instead, and I know my significant other prefers it that way. Stupid sexy Paul Rudd and his powers to make women swoon and make men insanely jealous.
For any who have seen Morris’ first attempt at a narrative feature, does he have the chops to make something entertaining and somewhat fictional, or should he just stick to documentaries?