Remember awhile back, there was going to another Heavy Metal movie, based on the erotic and violent storylines and images that remain the trademark of a magazine that debuted in the U.S. in 1977? That was the official description, and you can read so HERE.

It was also another foray into hardcore animation, like the original Heavy Metal movie that pieced together crazy animated stories, boobs and coke-sniffing aliens into one movie that catered to the the odd, drunk and stoned all at the same time (and sometimes the odd were just drunk and stoned).

Heavy Metal was announced in March and by early July, Paramount kicked the project to the curb, forcing Fincher and Heavy Metal publisher Kevin Eastman (the Ninja Turtles guy) to shop the project around.

Also, you know that we are looking forward to The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Fincher’s most recent film that tells the story of a Brad Pitt who ages in reverse. You can see the trailer HERE.

About 20 minutes of the film screened this week at Telluride to mediocre buzz. /Film very plainly stated that some sequences ran long and seemed pointless, even though the footage shown was just clips. This is a major concern since Fincher turned in a slighty-under-three-hours version of Button to the studio, also Paramount.

Now, The Playlist has found an interview with Kevin Eastman where he reveals the bad and ugly of these two events:

“We developed it for Paramount in January… And it was time for them to make a decision [about going forward with the project] and they were at odds with Fincher over another project, ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,’ [because] they wanted him to reduce the running time… and so they said, ‘Until you step up to do what we want you to do with Benjamin, we’re not going to greenlight any other of [your] movies.’ And David said, ‘Fine, fuck you, I’m going to set up [Heavy Metal] somewhere else,’ so we jumped over to Sony and set it up there.”

We’re all for auteur cinema around these parts, that’s how great things are made, but is it possible that Fincher needs to trim Button down? Will Paramount make him?

Fincher may be long-winded (you’re talking to lovers of the Zodiac Director’s Cut), but he is David Fincher. Can Paramount risk forcing his hand if Fincher never returns?

Ooooh! Drama.

Though if you just want to see pictures of hot girls, you can just scroll down.