David Cronenberg Suggests Retirement: “The World Doesn't Require My Next Film”

      Few recent films, and even fewer from prominent directors, carry such a sense of mortality as David Cronenberg’s The Shrouds. Even before its premiere, there has been considerable recognition of the personal connections for the director, yet a more profound sense of loss emerges while watching, stemming from the belief that this solemn and introspective work (possibly a masterpiece) could be his last statement. During the recent promotional tour— which included our interview— he spoke to the LA Times in a manner that both elucidates and strips away the romantic notion, as Cronenberg (who turned 82 last month) suggested that undertaking another project would be presumptuous: “The world does not need my next movie.”

      While opinions may vary, he appears to have some awareness of the significance that The Shrouds carries, a film reflecting on the relentless passage of time and marking the end of a life in cinema. Nonetheless, Cronenberg was clear that his concepts extend beyond film, indicating that the eight years between Maps to the Stars and Crimes of the Future found him envisioning a deeper literary career that he started with 2014’s Consumed. Just last December, he shared that a producer urged him to adapt that novel into a film for which he “might attempt to write a script” that, depending on its quality, “could be [his] next movie.”

      Whether anything has creatively developed in the last four months regarding Consumed’s potential remains uncertain, but, in true Cronenberg fashion, the theme of the body continues to be a concern. He referenced Manoel de Oliveira as “something to aspire to,” but noted the physical challenges of filmmaking shouldn’t be underestimated: “You could certainly envision a scenario where you’re halfway through a film and you think, ‘I actually can’t do this anymore. I’m not focused enough to perform well. I don’t even know if I can make it through today.'” Thus, the hopeful aspect is his current status as someone who “seems to be healthy enough.”

      One should not be overly greedy regarding any artist who has contributed so much over countless years, but one can certainly wish for the healthy and fruitful creation of at least one final feature.