Sony wins bidding war for live-action Flash Gordon
Garondo Marondo
Studio nabs rights for live-action film
By MICHAEL FLEMING
Sony Pictures Entertainment has won out in spirited bidding for the
'30s comicstrip "Flash Gordon," negotiating with Hearst for the rights
to make a live-action film.
Breck Eisner ("Sahara") is attached to direct. Neal Moritz will
produce through his Sony-based Original Films banner.
Deal being negotiated is for high six figures against seven figures if
the film gets made.
"Flash Gordon" was turned into a 1980 film that starred Sam Jones.
Hearst Corp.'s King Features Syndicate optioned the property to
Universal four years ago, with "The Mummy" director Stephen Sommers
and his partner Bob Ducsay to produce. Those rights reverted back to
Hearst.
Eisner had been attached to direct that version of the movie. When the
rights reverted, he teamed with Moritz. Eisner will also exec produce.
In the wake of "Iron Man's" success, studios are showing a heightened
appetite for branded fare that could be made into a franchise. Deal
comes two weeks after Nu Image/Millennium Films acquired film rights
from the John Flint Dille Trust to mount a live-action feature based
on the classic property "Buck Rogers."
In the original incarnation of "Flash Gordon," the 1934 comicstrip
created by Alex Raymond, Flash was a handsome polo player who is
kidnapped and taken to the planet Mongo. He is pitted against an evil
ruler named Ming the Merciless. Comicstrip became the basis of a
successful movie serial in that era that starred Buster Crabbe, who
later played Buck Rogers.
"Flash Gordon" has had numerous lives on the smallscreen, most
recently in the contempo Sci Fi Channel series starring Eric Johnson.
Helmer Eisner is also developing a remake of "The Creature From the
Black Lagoon" at Universal and a redo of George Romero's "The Crazies"
at Rogue. He recently directed an episode of the upcoming NBC horror
anthology series "Fear Itself."
http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117986176.html?categoryid=13&cs=1
El Klauso
Agent Smith
4a50-9111-f...@t54g2000hsg.googlegroups.com:
> Sony wins Flash Gordon bidding war
> Studio nabs rights for live-action film
>
> By MICHAEL FLEMING
>
> Sony Pictures Entertainment has won out in spirited bidding for the
> '30s comicstrip "Flash Gordon," negotiating with Hearst for the rights
> to make a live-action film.
>
> Breck Eisner ("Sahara") is attached to direct. Neal Moritz will
> produce through his Sony-based Original Films banner.
Any realtion to Will Eisner? Michael Eisner? :]
tomcervo
> Sounds like the industry is spiraling in upon itself...
Who cares? Long as they use the 1980 soundtrack.
AND Brian Blessed!
Rob Jensen
<agent...@two-blocks-on-your-left.com> wrote:
>Garondo Marondo <Classic...@gmail.com> wrote in news:b0a59206-99eb-
>4a50-9111-f...@t54g2000hsg.googlegroups.com:
>
>> Sony wins Flash Gordon bidding war
>> Studio nabs rights for live-action film
>>
>> By MICHAEL FLEMING
>>
>> Sony Pictures Entertainment has won out in spirited bidding for the
>> '30s comicstrip "Flash Gordon," negotiating with Hearst for the rights
>> to make a live-action film.
>>
>> Breck Eisner ("Sahara") is attached to direct. Neal Moritz will
>> produce through his Sony-based Original Films banner.
>
>Any realtion to Will Eisner? Michael Eisner? :]
Son of Michael Eisner.
-- Rob
--
LORELAI: I am so done with plans. I am never, ever making one again.
It never works. I spend the day obsessing over why it didn't work
and what I could've done differently. I'm analyzing all my shortcomings
when all I really need to be doing is vowing to never, ever make a plan
ever again, which I'm doing now, having once again been the innocent
victim of my own stupid plans. God, I need some coffee.
Bill Steele
<9c8f646b-5002-4d15...@59g2000hsb.googlegroups.com>,
tomcervo <tomc...@aol.com> wrote:
No to the first. OK to the second, but it's been a while.
They should learn from Lucas and use heroic music that evokes the
source. Of course if they screw around too much with the concept it
won't matter.
Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers coming out at the same time. Just like the
Sunday funnies.
Frank R.A.J. Maloney
Time to roll out Prince Valiant.
--
Frank in Seattle
____
Frank Richard Aloysius Jude Maloney
"Millennium hand and shrimp."
Derek Janssen
> Bill Steele wrote:
>
>> In article
>> <9c8f646b-5002-4d15...@59g2000hsb.googlegroups.com>,
>> tomcervo <tomc...@aol.com> wrote:
>>
>>> On May 21, 6:02 am, El Klauso <Klau...@verizon.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Sounds like the industry is spiraling in upon itself...
>>>
>>> Who cares? Long as they use the 1980 soundtrack.
>>> AND Brian Blessed!
>>
>>
>> No to the first. OK to the second, but it's been a while.
>> They should learn from Lucas and use heroic music that evokes the
>> source. Of course if they screw around too much with the concept it
>> won't matter.
>> Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers coming out at the same time. Just like
>> the Sunday funnies.
>
>
> Time to roll out Prince Valiant.
It's been done:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119947/
Derek Janssen (not counting the cartoon series or the Family Channel series)
eja...@verizon.net
Frank R.A.J. Maloney
> Frank R.A.J. Maloney wrote:
>> Bill Steele wrote:
>>
>>> In article
>>> <9c8f646b-5002-4d15...@59g2000hsb.googlegroups.com>,
>>> tomcervo <tomc...@aol.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> On May 21, 6:02 am, El Klauso <Klau...@verizon.net> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Sounds like the industry is spiraling in upon itself...
>>>>
>>>> Who cares? Long as they use the 1980 soundtrack.
>>>> AND Brian Blessed!
>>>
>>>
>>> No to the first. OK to the second, but it's been a while.
>>> They should learn from Lucas and use heroic music that evokes the
>>> source. Of course if they screw around too much with the concept it
>>> won't matter.
>>> Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers coming out at the same time. Just like
>>> the Sunday funnies.
>>
>>
>> Time to roll out Prince Valiant.
>
> It's been done:
> http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119947/
A German production released directly to video in the U.S. and 10 years
ago at that.
I think we're ready for another whack of the Singing Sword. I know I'm
still waiting for a film that captures some of the adventure, sex,
fantasy and magic of those first Hal Foster strips.
Anim8rFSK
But where will we get a young Robert Wagner?
--
Star Trek 09:
No Shat, No Show.
Frank R.A.J. Maloney
Leave us hope that mold is irretrievably broken.
Bill Steele
But the music was great, and I loved the sound effects for battles
between armored knights, which sounded like a heavy-industry production
line. Probably realistic, too. I bet knights had to wear earplugs under
their helmets.
L Alpert
"Frank R.A.J. Maloney" <fr...@blarg.net> wrote in message
news:zdCdnQF8ovUNGqnV...@posted.isomediainc...
> Bill Steele wrote:
>> In article
>> <9c8f646b-5002-4d15...@59g2000hsb.googlegroups.com>,
>> tomcervo <tomc...@aol.com> wrote:
>>
>>> On May 21, 6:02 am, El Klauso <Klau...@verizon.net> wrote:
>>>> Sounds like the industry is spiraling in upon itself...
>>> Who cares? Long as they use the 1980 soundtrack.
>>> AND Brian Blessed!
>>
>> No to the first. OK to the second, but it's been a while. They
>> should learn from Lucas and use heroic music that evokes the
>> source. Of course if they screw around too much with the concept it
>> won't matter. Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers coming out at the same
>> time. Just like the Sunday funnies.
>
> Time to roll out Prince Valiant.
Beetle Baily would be appropriate...
tomcervo
> In article <YPqdnVHZuvnuR6nVnZ2dnUVZ_o3in...@posted.isomediainc>,
They didn't do THAT much fighting in full armor, but some warriors
have chronic health problems. Tankers and gunners go deaf. Fighter
pilots go bald early and get hemorhoids. Cowboys and cavalrymen got
prostate cancer--Glendon Swarthout used that in "The Shootist".
Anim8rFSK
"L Alpert" <alp...@xxgmail.com> wrote:
> "Frank R.A.J. Maloney" <fr...@blarg.net> wrote in message
> news:zdCdnQF8ovUNGqnV...@posted.isomediainc...
> > Bill Steele wrote:
> >> In article
> >> <9c8f646b-5002-4d15...@59g2000hsb.googlegroups.com>,
> >> tomcervo <tomc...@aol.com> wrote:
> >>
> >>> On May 21, 6:02 am, El Klauso <Klau...@verizon.net> wrote:
> >>>> Sounds like the industry is spiraling in upon itself...
> >>> Who cares? Long as they use the 1980 soundtrack.
> >>> AND Brian Blessed!
> >>
> >> No to the first. OK to the second, but it's been a while. They
> >> should learn from Lucas and use heroic music that evokes the
> >> source. Of course if they screw around too much with the concept it
> >> won't matter. Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers coming out at the same
> >> time. Just like the Sunday funnies.
> >
> > Time to roll out Prince Valiant.
>
> Beetle Baily would be appropriate...
With Victoria Pratt as "Sarge"
Jack Bohn
>Sony wins Flash Gordon bidding war
>Studio nabs rights for live-action film
>
>By MICHAEL FLEMING
>
>Sony Pictures Entertainment has won out in spirited bidding for the
>'30s comicstrip "Flash Gordon," negotiating with Hearst for the rights
>to make a live-action film.
They could have just made their own film and called it something
like "The Star Wars."
>Hearst Corp.'s King Features Syndicate optioned the property to
>Universal four years ago, with "The Mummy" director Stephen Sommers
>and his partner Bob Ducsay to produce. Those rights reverted back to
>Hearst.
...and boy, are they sorry at how that deal turned out.
Here's where I expected to read that the recent TV series was
just churned out while Universal still held the rights.
Hey! What does that mean for season two?
>In the wake of "Iron Man's" success, studios are showing a heightened
>appetite for branded fare that could be made into a franchise.
We haven't yet seen any of the giant robot movies planned in the
wake of last year's "Transformers." Perhaps successive waves of
copycatism in different years will take some of the obviousness
out of it.
>Deal
>comes two weeks after Nu Image/Millennium Films acquired film rights
>from the John Flint Dille Trust to mount a live-action feature based
>on the classic property "Buck Rogers."
It's my nature to be cautiously optimistic about both of these.
>Helmer Eisner is also developing a remake of "The Creature From the
>Black Lagoon" at Universal
To be titled "HARRY ESSEX AND ARTHUR ROSS'S THE CREATURE FROM THE
BLACK LAGOON."
--
-Jack
jessica_smith_nyc
----
http://www.moviesitearchive.com
Anim8rFSK
<fc3eb79c-ca6b-4404...@b9g2000prh.googlegroups.com>,
jessica_smith_nyc <uwalu...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Interesting to see who they will cast as Flash...........
How about somebody that's never acted and has dark hair and eyes and we
bleach his hair and put in blue contacts that he's allergic to and then
give up and just let him have brown eyes?
And be sure to hire a blonde for Dale and dye her hair dark while the
competition hires a brunette for Wilma and bleaches her within an inch
of her life.
--
William December Starr
Anim8rFSK <ANIM...@cox.net> said:
>>> Time to roll out Prince Valiant.
>>
>> Beetle Baily would be appropriate...
>
> With Victoria Pratt as "Sarge"
And Jennifer Sky as Miss Buxley?
--
William December Starr <wds...@panix.com>
Frank R.A.J. Maloney
> In article
> <fc3eb79c-ca6b-4404...@b9g2000prh.googlegroups.com>,
> jessica_smith_nyc <uwalu...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Interesting to see who they will cast as Flash...........
>
> How about somebody that's never acted and has dark hair and eyes and we
> bleach his hair and put in blue contacts that he's allergic to and then
> give up and just let him have brown eyes?
>
Flash started out in the strip as a polo player; maybe he could be an
NBA superstar this time around. How about an African-American Flash?
Ming the Merciless and Princess Aura are perhaps even more important to
cast correctly. It's vital to get the villains right.
> And be sure to hire a blonde for Dale and dye her hair dark while the
> competition hires a brunette for Wilma and bleaches her within an inch
> of her life.
And Buddy? Or will that they feel they ought to drop the kid sidekick to
avoid any imputations of Batman-slash-Robin?
Jack Bohn
>Anim8rFSK wrote:
>> In article
>> <fc3eb79c-ca6b-4404...@b9g2000prh.googlegroups.com>,
>> jessica_smith_nyc <uwalu...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Interesting to see who they will cast as Flash...........
>>
>> How about somebody that's never acted and has dark hair and eyes and we
>> bleach his hair and put in blue contacts that he's allergic to and then
>> give up and just let him have brown eyes?
>>
>
>Flash started out in the strip as a polo player; maybe he could be an
>NBA superstar this time around. How about an African-American Flash?
"Flash" would work as the nickname of an NBA player about as well
as an NFL quarterback. Either of the two -or even polo- would
have more of a "the battle of Waterloo was won on the playing
fields of Eaton" feel than a marathon runner.
>And Buddy? Or will that they feel they ought to drop the kid sidekick to
>avoid any imputations of Batman-slash-Robin?
Buddy was Buck Rogers' sidekick. That is to say, Wilma Deering's
kid brother (cousin? nephew in the best comic strip tradition?)
whom Buck had to keep giving quarters to and sending to the
movies while trying to get into her pants.
--
-Jack
Frank R.A.J. Maloney
I know who Buddy was and in which strip he appeared. The posting I was
responding talked about both Flash and Buck and their respective personnel.
Jack Bohn
No offense meant. As there was no transition between the two, I
thought I might make sure there was no misunderstanding.
--
-Jack
Bill Steele
"Frank R.A.J. Maloney" <fr...@blarg.net> wrote:
> And Buddy? Or will that they feel they ought to drop the kid sidekick to
> avoid any imputations of Batman-slash-Robin?
No problem if they bring along his girlfriend Alura. Buddy and Alura
were later add-ons anyway, created to populate the Sunday version of
Buck Rogers with a separate continuity.
Frank R.A.J. Maloney
Reviving Alura would be a fine idea since she disappeared when Buck went
Hollywood.
George Peatty
>> Beetle Baily would be appropriate...
>With Victoria Pratt as "Sarge"
.. as Miss Buxley ..