Screenhead

All right, He-Man fans, listen up, because I’ve got some good news.  Remember when I told you earlier that the live action He-Man dream was dead?  Well, apparently, it got better in rapid fashion because Sony has picked up the rights from Warner Brothers, and they’re taking that ball and running with it.  Fast points to note: Joel Silver is out and all the development that’s already happened is gone.

This means they’re basically starting over fresh, and given how little we actually knew about the title, it’s probably for the best anyway.  Hopefully they can manage to recover and get a product ready to show, because I’m dying to see if they actually manage to get one right and NOT completely turn my childhood into a smoking ruin of profit driven remakes.

That’s it for the He-Man movie, everybody!    That’s right, most every male child in the 1980s favorite licensed character hero extraordinaire is now out of action.

Warner Bros. has officially dropped the live action He-Man movie, and by the sounds of it, there’s no one particular reason but rather a whole  host of them working in concert.   Things like the fact that He-Man is basically a super-niche product at this point, with an appeal limited to those who actually remember the last time he was on television.  Of course, thanks to earlier Warner Brothers forays into the He-Man universe, there was a remake of the show not so long back, but it was poorly attended.

Let’s also not forget the multiple script rewrites and the new writer brought in at the last minute that did so many changes even the name of the film would’ve been different.  This never bodes well for a movie.

So I think we can all sleep more soundly at night knowing that our childhoods can continue on unmolested.

At least for now.

That’s it.

I’m going to Olive Garden after this.  The lure of Bellini tea and Neverending Pasta Bowl is entirely too necessary now.

See, I just got a good look at Joel Silver’s plans for the next few years, and I couldn’t be much more horrified if I tried.

The plan, shockingly enough, includes–and you’re going to want to be sitting down for this–a He-man movie, a Wonder Woman movie, the fifth installment of Lethal Weapon  and at least a dozen others.  Including, in the possibly most disturbing news of all, yet another Swamp Thing remake.

Considering that one of those is a sequel, and the rest are comic book properties that we know of, it’s not exactly the best of plans.  Though I do admit, I enjoyed the Lethal Weapon series and wouldn’t mind seeing another one (but isn’t Danny Glover REALLY getting too old for this?), and comic book / cartoon properties DO have the potential to be entertaining, I’m a little worried about the overall slate.  It’s just a little too heavy on the tried-and-true and short shrift given to innovation.

This isn’t surprising, of course, given the nature of Hollywood, but it’s no less disheartening to see it in practice.

It seems they’ve finally found themselves a writer for Grayskull, as The Hollywood Reporter carries word that newcomer Evan Daugherty is set to pen the latest draft of the film.

The project is an adaptation of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, a popular ‘80s toy line and cartoon series. It followed a warrior called Prince Adam who turns into the heroic He-Man. He and his allies would defend the planet from the forces of Skeletor.

Justin Marks penned the previous draft which completely reimagined the series. John Stevenson (Kung Fu Panda) is attached to direct.

In another director appointment, Reuters has confirmed that John Stevenson (Kung-Fu Panda) has signed on to direct a live-action version of Masters of the Universe for Warner Bros. and Silver Pictures.

A resurrection of the classic ‘80s He-Man cartoon and toy line, Mattel will co-produce the film that reimagines the story with a more gritty fantasy bent.

Penned by Justin Marks, the upcoming film will see Adam as a soldier who sets off to find his destiny, happening upon the magical world called Eternia. Skeleton, the series villain, has raised a technological army there and is bent on eradicating all traces of magic.

Production will begin later this year, or early 2010 at the very latest.

Rumors are going about the Internet that Kung Fu Panda co-director John Stevenson is attached to direct the live-action He-Man film for Silver Pictures.

Apparently, the former Muppet Show character designer and animation artist pitched a new take on the legendary retro series which landed him the job.

Nothing is known about his new take, or whether the rumors are true. More on the story as it develops.

Word over at Aint it Cool News is saying that the forthcoming A-Team movie, based on the popular 80’s action show, has been pushed back to 2010 at the earliest. And if that doesn’t sound like a good sign for the project, attached director John Singleton (Boyz in the Hood, Four Brothers) has backed out, possibly due Fox’s official announcement that they’re developing and rewriting the script even more. The film is rumoured to star Bruce Willis as Hannibal, Ice Cube as BA, and Woody Harrelson as Murdoch.

To be honest, it looks as if Fox are backing away from the project, and rightly so. Nostalgia doesn’t necessarily mean people are going to fork out good money for a revival. Look at the diminishing ratings for the new Knight Rider TV show, for example. And, already this month we hear that a planned He-Man film got the axe. Will the A-Team movie go the same route? It’s probably best for all if it does.