The creative minds behind the cult sci-fi hit Iron Sky are blasting off to the Red Planet with a new politically-charged space saga. Producers Tero Kaukomaa and director Timo Vuorensola are prepping a three-part sci-fi trilogy titled "Deep Red" that puts a radical twist on the space race, sending the Communists instead of the Nazis to Mars.
A Marxist Dream... Or Dystopian Nightmare?
What this really means is a return to the gonzo, absurdist tone that made Iron Sky such a hit with fans. In the world of Deep Red, the Soviets have secretly occupied Mars since the 1950s, building a utopian Communist society hidden from Earth. But as surveys show, the reality is far more dystopian - a surveillance state run by an oppressive AI system.
"The trilogy opens in the present day, as an American astronaut crash-lands on Mars and discovers the hidden colony," the producers explain. "What initially appears to be a Marxist dream state soon reveals itself as a system maintained through algorithmic control and absolute surveillance."
Crowdfunding the Red Scare
The bigger picture here is that Kaukomaa and Vuorensola are doubling down on the crowdsourcing model that powered the Iron Sky franchise. As IndieWire reports, fan-funded filmmaking is becoming an increasingly vital strategy in the post-pandemic landscape.
"We're building the Deep Red trilogy as a single, continuous production," Vuorensola explains. "This strategy lets us, for example, to build sets, props, costumes, and assets only once. Hire cast and crew for one concentrated push, and streamline pre- and post-production."
In other words, by filming all three Deep Red movies back-to-back, the producers can maximize efficiency and minimize costs - a crucial advantage in the current economic climate. As The Wall Street Journal reports, franchise films are increasingly the name of the game in the movie industry.
The first concept art for Deep Red certainly seems to promise the same over-the-top, politically-charged sci-fi thrills that made Iron Sky such a cult hit. With the world in the grip of a new Cold War-style standoff, the timing couldn't be better for a return to the red scare - this time on an interplanetary scale.