When it comes to cult art house cinema, few films are as highly regarded as Alejandro Jodorowsky's 1970 "acid western" El Topo. By the sounds of things, though, the famed filmmaker may soon be revisiting this classic piece of cinema.
Last night (October 5), Jodorowsky's latest film, the stunning Endless Poetry, made its Canadian premiere at the Vancouver Film Festival. The movie was then followed by a Q&A with the film's star and Jodorowsky's son, Adan Jodorowsky, who revealed his father has his sights set on making the El Topo sequel Sons of El Topo.
The reveal was made when Adan Jodorowsky was asked about his father's future film projects, which also include more instalments in Alejandro Jodorowsky's ongoing biographical film series (which will continue to star Adan as his father). So far those titles have included 2013's The Dance of Reality and now Endless Poetry, with Alejandro Jodorowsky also currently writing the next movie in the series, Adan confirmed.
And while unfortunately no other details about the current progress of Sons of El Topo were revealed during the Q&A, it's not the first we've heard of the film. In a 2014 interview with The Wrap, Alejandro Jodorowsky spoke about the troubled project (which has also gone under the titles Abel Cain and the singular Son of El Topo), saying at the time he planned to turn the then-abandoned film into a comic series.
"I could never do Son of El Topo, for 40 years," Alejandro Jodorowsky said at the time. "It cost $30 million and they didn't want to give me that. but in three more days, I will start to make the comic book of Son of El Topo. I'll do it in comics. And also [film project] King Shot, I'll do it in comics. All the pictures I could never do, I'll do it in comics. All the comics I do are the pictures I could never do. I don't believe in failing. I have dignity. I will never fail; if I can't do it in movies, I'll do it in comics. If I can't do it in comics, I'll do it in a written book."
At one point, Sons of El Topo was to be released sometime between late 2011 and 2012, with even Nick Nolte, Johnny Depp and Marilyn Manson attached to the project at various times. Apparently, its script even made it onto eBay around the time, but all thanks to various problems — most involving money — the film has yet to see the light of day.
The closest we've got at this point to Sons of El Topo is a few pages of the comic Alejandro Jodorowsky began work on with Mexican comic artist José Ladrönn. These pages were shared as a Kickstarter reward when financing for Endless Poetry was underway.
Of course, with Alejandro Jodorowsky now being 87 years old and with still other films already in the pipeline, it's anyone's guess if Sons of El Topo will actually see the light of day. But with Adan Jodorowsky saying his father is currently experiencing a creative burst of energy and still making the film, there's hope we could one day see El Topo ride again.
In more news gleaned from last night's Q&A, Adan Jodorowsky revealed that he will soon be taking the director's chair himself and plans to make a horror film in the near future. While he did not give a title for the film, he did say it would feature everything we love about horror films, including vampires, witches, werewolves, bikers and basically every kind of mystical beast you can think of. On top of that, he spoke about his new theatre in Mexico City, which will screen a films ranging from contemporary films to cult B horror flicks to very old-timey pieces of cinema on an old projector.
While we await further details on all those future Jodorowsky film projects, Endless Poetry will screen again today (October 7) in Vancouver for a matinee 3:15 p.m. showing. You can learn more here.
Last night (October 5), Jodorowsky's latest film, the stunning Endless Poetry, made its Canadian premiere at the Vancouver Film Festival. The movie was then followed by a Q&A with the film's star and Jodorowsky's son, Adan Jodorowsky, who revealed his father has his sights set on making the El Topo sequel Sons of El Topo.
The reveal was made when Adan Jodorowsky was asked about his father's future film projects, which also include more instalments in Alejandro Jodorowsky's ongoing biographical film series (which will continue to star Adan as his father). So far those titles have included 2013's The Dance of Reality and now Endless Poetry, with Alejandro Jodorowsky also currently writing the next movie in the series, Adan confirmed.
And while unfortunately no other details about the current progress of Sons of El Topo were revealed during the Q&A, it's not the first we've heard of the film. In a 2014 interview with The Wrap, Alejandro Jodorowsky spoke about the troubled project (which has also gone under the titles Abel Cain and the singular Son of El Topo), saying at the time he planned to turn the then-abandoned film into a comic series.
"I could never do Son of El Topo, for 40 years," Alejandro Jodorowsky said at the time. "It cost $30 million and they didn't want to give me that. but in three more days, I will start to make the comic book of Son of El Topo. I'll do it in comics. And also [film project] King Shot, I'll do it in comics. All the pictures I could never do, I'll do it in comics. All the comics I do are the pictures I could never do. I don't believe in failing. I have dignity. I will never fail; if I can't do it in movies, I'll do it in comics. If I can't do it in comics, I'll do it in a written book."
At one point, Sons of El Topo was to be released sometime between late 2011 and 2012, with even Nick Nolte, Johnny Depp and Marilyn Manson attached to the project at various times. Apparently, its script even made it onto eBay around the time, but all thanks to various problems — most involving money — the film has yet to see the light of day.
The closest we've got at this point to Sons of El Topo is a few pages of the comic Alejandro Jodorowsky began work on with Mexican comic artist José Ladrönn. These pages were shared as a Kickstarter reward when financing for Endless Poetry was underway.
Of course, with Alejandro Jodorowsky now being 87 years old and with still other films already in the pipeline, it's anyone's guess if Sons of El Topo will actually see the light of day. But with Adan Jodorowsky saying his father is currently experiencing a creative burst of energy and still making the film, there's hope we could one day see El Topo ride again.
In more news gleaned from last night's Q&A, Adan Jodorowsky revealed that he will soon be taking the director's chair himself and plans to make a horror film in the near future. While he did not give a title for the film, he did say it would feature everything we love about horror films, including vampires, witches, werewolves, bikers and basically every kind of mystical beast you can think of. On top of that, he spoke about his new theatre in Mexico City, which will screen a films ranging from contemporary films to cult B horror flicks to very old-timey pieces of cinema on an old projector.
While we await further details on all those future Jodorowsky film projects, Endless Poetry will screen again today (October 7) in Vancouver for a matinee 3:15 p.m. showing. You can learn more here.
