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Director Luca Guadagnino, known for "Call Me by Your Name," had previously tapped Colin Farrell to star in his DC superhero film "Sgt. Rock" back in March, with principal photography slated for this summer. However, multiple international outlets are now reporting a significant roadblock in the project's development.
The Wrap initially claimed that pre-production on "Sgt. Rock" has been halted. The report indicated that the film's extensive location shooting requirements, coupled with the need to commence filming this summer, meant the crew couldn't meet the ambitious production schedule. The Wrap emphasized that the delay was not due to the common industry issue of ballooning budgets, noting that "Sgt. Rock" has a relatively modest budget of under $70 million for a superhero feature.
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Subsequently, The Hollywood Reporter (THR) corroborated that the pause was indeed due to location scheduling. However, THR clarified that the film has not been canceled, with DC Studios and Warner Bros. Pictures planning to re-evaluate the situation by year-end and potentially push production to next summer. THR also added that Mike Faist, who recently worked with Guadagnino on "Challengers" (pictured above), has been cast in an undisclosed role.
THR further detailed the plot, stating that "Sgt. Rock" will largely follow Sgt. Rock as he teams up with a female member of the French Resistance to locate the legendary Spear of Destiny, said to have pierced Jesus. Their mission is to find it before the Nazis, who covet its supernatural power, can lay their hands on it.
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Adding further details, Deadline reported the actual budget for "Sgt. Rock" is $65 million, with an original August start date. Guadagnino was reportedly still scouting locations as recently as last week. Deadline also confirmed that the production halt stems from location scheduling issues, noting that rushing to film in the optimal climate was not an option the crew wanted to pursue. Additionally, Deadline mentioned that David Jonsson (pictured above), who portrays a synthetic in "Alien: Romulus," is also part of the cast.
Set within the DC Universe, "Sgt. Rock" features a screenplay penned by Justin Kuritzkes. This marks the third collaboration between Guadagnino and Kuritzkes, who also wrote the scripts for Guadagnino's 2023 directorial releases, "Challengers" and "Queer." A release date for "Sgt. Rock" has yet to be announced.