Frank Miller and Odd Lot Entertainment are reportedly close to a deal to bring back one of the oldest icons of science-fiction, Buck Rodgers.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Odd Lot is negotating with Nu Image/Millenium for the rights to Rogers. Nu Image/Millennium obtained those rights this year from the Dille Trust. Millennium is expected to get a credit on the movie but won’t be involved in day-to-day production.
John Flint Dille, a friend of Miller’s, operates the trust, which may have partly prompted rumors at the time of the Millennium acquisition that the comic auteur-turned-filmmaker might come aboard to direct.
But Miller was not attached at the time; he only became involved when Odd Lot entered the picture.
Miller will write and direct his own big-screen take on the comic serial; while the creator has only begun to sketch ideas, it’s expected to be a darker take, with many of Miller’s signature visual elements and themes, such as corruption and redemption.
It’s likely to be a priority project for Miller, though he has been mulling a Sin City sequel.
One of the first pop-culture vehicles to tackle the issue of space exploration, the story of Buck Rogers began life as a comic serial in the late 1920s and early ’30s and has seen numerous film and television versions over the years.
Although I am wary of reboots and remakes, this would be sweet.
Someone needs to do some Alistair Reynolds.
After butchering “The Spirit”, I can honestly say I’ve lost confidence in Miller as a director.