Kevin Smith's dream project, the straightforward horror film Red State, is one of those projects that have been floating around the rumor mill for some time now, with his fans hoping that it will actually come to pass. The director sat down with the folks at Ain't It Cool News today, and touched on it a bit, indicating that in a perfect world, it's what he'd like to be working on soon, now that Zack & Miri Make a Porno is finished up:"I'm still trying to find money for Red State, though, admittedly, I haven't been looking that hard yet, since it's not something I'm gonna get to till March, the earliest. Early prospects, however, look dim. Problem is, the flick is bleak. Beyond bleak, even. Remember how bleak Dark Knight was? This makes... that flick seem Beverly Hills Chihuahua bleak. Sadly, while the flick's bleaker than Dark Knight, it's also not nearly as good as Dark Knight. Or as commercial... So when you go down the checklist--overtly bleak, unlikable characters making horrible decisions, unhappy ending in which everyone dies, a director of questionable talent who's never worked in this genre before--you can see why folks aren't whipping out their check books."
Very typical of the self-deprecating Smith. And there is some truth to what he says--after 15 years, he still hasn't proven he can make anything other than Jay and Silent Bob movies. Still, the very concept of a Kevin Smith-written and directed horror movie is very intriguing. Hopefully someone has the vision to pony up the dough.