The iconic filmmaker, Charlie Shackleton, unveils his in-depth vision for his unfinished documentary about the notorious Zodiac Killer - a project that unfortunately ran aground after spending a considerable amount of time in development. His wistfully titled documentary, “Zodiac Killer Project,” gives insights into how his film would have unfolded. This revealing confession serves not only as a journey through Shackleton’s regrets but also as a playful yet insightful critique of the current trend of replicating true-crime genre content.
Though not legally able to refer to its source material, the 2012 book, “The Zodiac Killer Cover-up: The Silent Badge,” Shackleton's project was seemingly an adaptation. Negotiations were initially conducted for film rights with the family of the late author, Lyndon E. Lafferty, a former CHP officer who spent decades investigating the Zodiac case after an alleged encounter with the killer. Sadly, rights agreements fell apart when Shackleton was location hunting.
In the “Zodiac Killer Project”, Shackleton recounts his planned narrative arc for the unfinished film, often humorously breaking his own focus while imagining climatic sequences. The director’s ability to make a semblance of an actual true-crime documentary using available resources is impressive. However, it remains within the parameters of its genre, thus limiting the breadth of its creative scope.
Shackleton balances between showing genuine disappointment about his unexecuted ideas with a somewhat satirical critique of the true-crime genre, questioning its authenticity. The narrative of Shackleton's original film evolved around the eccentric endeavours of Lafferty, creating a wild chase after one specific suspect.
The narrative also planned to include characters like Robert Graysmith, the author of the most popular book on the Zodiac case. Curiously enough, Shackleton’s envisioned ending mirrors that of David Fincher’s film on the Zodiac case. This is yet another instance of Shackleton highlighting the repetitious nature of true crime tropes.
“Zodiac Killer Project” reveals a lot about the troubling state of the film industry. Shackleton himself noted that many filmmakers feel compelled to dive into the true-crime genre due to its current market dominance. Thus, the documentary serves as a critique of the fast-paced, trend-chasing industry that puts pressure on unique, independent artists like Shackleton.
Using this unmade Zodiac killer documentary as an example, Shackleton illustrates the suffocating effect of industry trends on creativity. Despite this, his minimalist, dry storytelling technique in the "Zodiac Killer Project" was still recognized, as it was selected to be part of Sundance’s experimental NEXT category. The unfinished documentary ultimately speaks to the limits imposed on filmmakers and the types of films they can realistically create in a trend-chasing market.
