It’s been a full decade since Paul Verhoeven, helmer of the likes of Basic Instinct, Total Recall and Robocop, last made a Hollywood movie. We did get the excellent European drama Black Books, and for a while he’s been talking about English-language projects like The Surrogate, or the Dutch historical epic, The Hidden Force, but he hasn’t actually made all that much.
Now Deadline reports he’s got another potential project up his sleeve, called Eternal, which continues the Showgirls helmer’s interest in sex, but adds a bit of the supernatural to the mix. The film will follow a married, recovering alcoholic, who talks a woman out of jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge. And this being the universe of Paul Verhoeven, their next stop isn’t a hospital or a shrink for the woman, but sleeping with one another.
The guy’s wife become convinced he’s having an affair, but the PI she sends after him only gets pictures of him drinking alone. When confronted by these, the guy is understandably confused, as his mistress ought to be there, but he gradually works out that the woman he saved is actually a supernatual succubus/ghost that only he can see, and she’s now obsessed with him.
The film was written by David Loughery (Obsessed), and has since been re-written by Richard D’Ovidio. Although Deadline describe Verhoeven as only strong possibility as the director, Variety seem to think it’s pretty certain. We’ll have to wait and see. Production should start next summer.