PARADISE LOST CONCEPT ARTWORK REVEALED

Good news ladies, Bradley Cooper’s becoming the number one bad boy…

Director Alex Proyas (The Crow, Knowing) talked recently at the Legendary Pictures pre-production panel at Comic Con about his upcoming big screen adaptation of John Milton’s epic morality tale, Paradise Lost.

Originally published in 1667, the poem concerns the story of the fall of man. Legendary have released this brief synopsis of the plot:

‘Lucifer and Michael, God's greatest archangels, share the bond of extraordinary friendship until God produces his greatest creation: Man. Unable to remain subservient to God if it means bowing down to humanity, Lucifer begins his dark descent and is cast out — only to plot his revenge.’

A release date has yet to be announced, however the film is causing quite a stir already with the first teaser images released of The Hangover and Limitless star Bradley Cooper as fallen angel, Satan.

At present the only actor attributed to the project, Cooper had been in talks with Proyas for the role for years. He told Entertainment Weekly: “ I’d been vying for that role for three years.” He reveals an anecdote about meeting Ralph Fiennes, who has just finished his eight year stint as dark wizard Lord Voldemort in Harry Potter. Fiennes told him if he really wants to play the role, then he’s got to go for it.

The role is not without its challenges. Cooper told Den of Geek ‘it’s going to be motion capture, and I’ve never done anything like that.’ Following the footsteps of the likes of Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Cooper will play the whole piece using performance capture. Of this technology, he remarked: “[it] is evolving exponentially, so where they were when they did Avatar as opposed to where they are now is almost different worlds.”

Proyas revealed more about the film’s focus, claiming: “we’re going to make an incredible epic film about the devil’s fall from grace and the archangel Michael. Adam and Eve play heavily in it as well.” He continued, alluding to the ambitious production process involved: “This film couldn’t have been made a few years ago. In fact, we’re not even sure we can make it now. But we’re gonna try.”

Set to start filming in October in Sydney, Australia, the film is rumoured to be aiming for a 2013 release. With much excitement now surrounding the project, it is speculated that the film will attract another big name to star opposite Bradley in the role of Michael.