Breck Eisner & Sony Prepping FLASH GORDON

By: Jarrod Sarafin
Date: Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Source: Hollywood Reporter

After years of collecting dust, Flash Gordon may not be sitting in development hell for much longer. Columbia Pictures is in early talks to acquire the film rights for a big-screen adaptation and they want Breck Eisner to direct while Neal Moritz is set to produce. Eisner would executive produce. No screenwriters are yet attached to pen the new adventure.

"Flash" was originally a science fiction newspaper comic strip drawn by Alex Raymond in the 1930s and was created to compete with another sci-fi strip, "Buck Rogers." The strip was first adapted to the screen via Buster Crabbe serials and made into a lavish 1980 film starring Sam Jones but remembered more for its Queen score.

Flash was a sports player who travels to the planet Mongo with his lady love, Dale Arden, and the mad scientist Dr. Hans Zarkov. There, they discover a world ruled by Ming the Merciless and meet strange inhabitants such as the Hawkmen and the Sharkmen.

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Comments/Responses

Klytus7 • May 20, 2008, 04:55pm •

Long live Flash.End of line.

almostunbiased • May 20, 2008, 05:00pm •

I loved the old cheesy Flash Gordon black and white TV show when I was a kid, and I even liked the extra cheesy movie from the picture above, but when I see either now they make me laugh. Still I've watch the new show a few times and it's ok.

I'll be looking for this, maybe just for old time sake.

WISEGUY562 • May 20, 2008, 05:02pm •

I would love for this to happen. I loved Flash Gordon, a true icon of sci/fi. However I couldn't get into that train wreck on the sci/fi channel. But a well done movie without all the campiness of the 80's flick would be welcomed and highly anticipated here.

Weave • May 20, 2008, 05:35pm •

Okay don't screw it up like the remake "Flash AAHG AHG he saved everyone of us!" or the new series. Hmmmmmm Anthony Hopkins as Ming..?? OWW no Ben Kingsley.

Weave • May 20, 2008, 05:37pm •

Okay don't screw it up like the remake "Flash AAHG AHG he saved everyone of us!" or the new series. Hmmmmmm Anthony Hopkins as Ming..?? OWW no Ben Kingsley.

Moz72 • May 20, 2008, 06:02pm •

Mike O'Hearn (American Gladiator's Titan) should be Flash!

Hobbs • May 20, 2008, 06:59pm •

Remake? What did they remake the 1980 Flash from? I didn't know there was a movie before that one, only the comics and the B&W shorts from the 30's. As stupid as the movie was it was also fun to watch. Saw it when I was a kid and loved it, saw it as an adult and laughed...good entertainment all around.

mckracken • May 20, 2008, 07:56pm •

why remake a movie from the 80's? just change all the actors and make an official sequel.

and what do you mean Flash has been gathering dust for years when its just recentl started playing all over Encore channel and it just got its official DVD release (and theres some show on sci/fi channel masquerading as a flash gordon show but it sucks.)

is the Queen soundtrack still available?

whats with the hot pink background? it really sucks.

wessmith1966 • May 20, 2008, 08:00pm •

I'd love to see a good Flash Gordon movie with a retro feel to it like Rocketeer. Don't make it campy like the 80s version or just plain awful like that terrible SciFi Channel version. Flash Gordon could be a great adventure film with a feel like the old serials (like Raiders of the Lost Ark). I'd love to see a Doc Savage movie, too.

darkheart00 • May 20, 2008, 08:15pm •

The best Flash Gordon was in the 80's cartoon "Defenders of the Earth".

"Out of the sky his rockets ignite! Jets into battle, flies faster than light! Flash Gordon"!

Yeah.....rock on.

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