The Argentinean director was not only in charge of the direction, but also of the script of the film that was going to start shooting soon, with Mark Whalberg as protagonist
Damián Szifrón will not direct The Six Billion Dollar Man, the film version of the popular television series of the 70s, The Nuclear Man. The Argentinean director, who also planned to write the script, abandoned the project for causes not yet specified.
"Creative Differences" is the only explanation made in the last hours The Hollywood Reporter, the first media that reported the information.
Szifron had been working on the project for three years, as a result of Hollywood's interest in his work after the remarkable impact in the United States that had Wild Tales, his previous film. After the nomination to the Oscar 2015 as best foreign film, Szifron joined the project that has Mark Wahlberg as the protagonist.
At first, the film was to be developed within Harvey Weinstein's production company, but complaints of sexual harassment and the economic problems of that company delayed that possibility, until a few weeks ago Warner Bros. confirmed that the shooting was going to start during this boreal summer in the United Kingdom. It had even been established on May 31, 2019 as a safe date for the world premiere, with Szifron in charge of the direction (as was known from the beginning) and also the script.
Now that the Argentine director was left out, speculations revolve around the continuity of the project. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the studio is willing to keep the release date with a new director. The note talks about Mel Gibson, whose name was mentioned in recent times as a possible member of the cast in the key role of Oscar Goldman, responsible for transforming Colonel Steve Austin into a bionic man.
As the fans of the series will remember, Austin (played by Lee Majors) receives technological implants after a tremendous accident that makes him almost a superman. Then, thanks to the trades of Goldman (Richard Anderson), he becomes a secret agent of the US government.
Will Gibson be the future director of Six Billion Dollar Man?