Hero hired by Columbia Pictures

By: Patrick Sauriol
Date: Thursday, June 05, 2003
Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Luke Cage has found a home.

Marvel Comics' hero for hire (well, one-half of the team if you also count his sometimes partner Iron Fist) has been optioned by Columbia Pictures, the same studio behind SPIDER-MAN. The project is being developed by Neal Moritz (THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS and his Original Films company. Writer Ben Ramsey (LOVE AND A BULLET, THE BIG HIT) will pen the screenplay.

The character of Luke Cage has super-strength and invulnerability, received as a result of a medical experiment while he was incarcerated in prison. Considered one of Marvel's most popular black superheroes, Cage eventually escaped from prison and turned his life around, becoming a hero for his old neighborhood. It's unknown how much of the movie's screenplay will mirror the character's comic book origins.

One interesting factoid: this is the same comic book character where star Nicolas Cage borrowed his surname for his professional name. The star of THE ROCK and WINDTALKERS is a huge comic book fan.


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