‘Thor’ screenwriter Mark Protosevich has been brought in to pen the adventures of another flaxen-haired comic hero. Protosevich will script 20th Century Fox’s new film version of ‘Flash Gordon’ to which Matthew Vaughn (‘Kingsmen: The Secret Service’) is attached to direct. A previous draft, written by ‘Star Trek Beyond”s J.D. Payne and Patrick McKay, was tossed out when Vaughn signed on. At one point, it was believed that the new version would somehow be a sequel to the 1980 movie, but perhaps that was in the script that was dropped.
In addition to the first ‘Thor’, Protosevich also worked on the screenplays for ‘The Cell’, ‘I Am Legend’ and ‘Oldboy’ and is tapped to also provide the screenplay for the reboot of ‘Freakshow’.
The concept of ‘Flash Gordon’ follows the title hero, an Earth athlete who finds himself and his two companions Dale Arden and Doctor Hans Zarkov stranded on the wondrous but deadly planet Mongo, ruled by Ming the Merciless. ‘Flash’ first appeared in 1934 as the star of a classic comic strip but went on to star on some influential movie serials, which partially inspired George Lucas to create ‘Star Wars’. The character has gone on to appear in numerous adaptations in film and television, including a 2007 miniseries on Syfy, but the most famous is the splashy 1980 movie produced by Dino De Laurentis, directed by Mike Hodges and starring Sam J. Jones as Flash. Perhaps more famous than the movie itself was the soundtrack by Queen. Both were recently given new fame when the movie was featured in a plotline from the hit comedy ‘Ted’.
Will Protosevich invoke the 1980 camp classic? Or any other versions of the classic space adventure?
Don’t hold your breath. Protosevich enthusiastically commented on the project but offered no hints as to his approach:
“I can’t wait to get started and if you’re curious about the take? I’m not saying a word. All I’ll say is this – it will be nothing like any version of Flash Gordon you’ve seen.”
Well, it would kind of be impossible to duplicate the terrible magnificence of the 1980 movie. But can a completely straight-faced adaptation work?
What do you think? What approach should a new ‘Flash Gordon’ take?
Source: Screen Rant
