Beyond the Music: Jim Morrison’s Untold Dream to Bring The Lords and The New Creatures to the Big Screen

While Jim Morrison is immortalized as the enigmatic frontman of The Doors, his artistic ambitions stretched far beyond the realm of music. Lesser known, yet deeply revealing, was his dream to bring his poetic work The Lords and The New Creatures to the silver screen. Published in 1970, this collection of prose and poetry captured Morrison’s fascination with modern mythology, the mechanization of society, and the blurred lines between performer and observer. But for Morrison, the book was not just literary—it was cinematic.

Morrison envisioned The Lords and The New Creatures as the foundation for a film project that would transcend traditional storytelling. Drawing inspiration from avant-garde cinema and directors like Jean-Luc Godard and Federico Fellini, he wanted to explore abstract visual poetry, fragmentation, and symbolism. The “Lords” were the unseen rulers—corporate, religious, or political powers—while the “New Creatures” were those lost in modern spectacle. Through imagery and disjointed narrative, Morrison aimed to create a film that would challenge perception, inviting audiences to question reality itself.

He often spoke of cinema as the future of poetry, describing film as “an illusory medium that allows you to dream while awake.” With his early interest in filmmaking—he studied at UCLA’s film school—Morrison had the tools, vision, and audacity to imagine a new kind of artform. He even shot experimental shorts and music videos with a poetic flair, hinting at what this project might have become.

Unfortunately, his untimely death in 1971 cut short these cinematic aspirations. What remains are fragmented ideas, scattered notebooks, and an intense curiosity among fans and scholars alike. Had he lived longer, Morrison might have redefined poetic cinema, merging his raw lyrical genius with haunting visuals.