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Breck Eisner Bringing Flash Gordon Back!

by Alex Billington
May 21, 2008
Source: Hollywood Reporter

We last mentioned Breck Eisner just a few weeks ago when talking about The Creature from the Black Lagoon remake, another project he's helming. Now news comes today that Eisner has been attached to also directed the revival of Flash Gordon. Sony just won the recent bidding war over the rights, which took place because "studios are showing a heightened appetite for branded fare that could be made into a franchise." Only Eisner and producer Neal Moritz are officially attached so far, as a writer for the project hasn't been found yet. The last time we saw Flash Gordon on the big screen was in 1980, with Sam J. Jones as Flash, and now he's returning alongside of countless other 80's revivals, including even Buck Rogers.

Flash Gordon originally was 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. Flash was first adapted to the screen via Buster Crabbe serials and was made into a lavish 1980 film. In the film, Flash was an athlete 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 such strange inhabitants as the Hawkmen and the Sharkmen. Need we point you in the direction of this Queen song as a reminder of Flash Gordon?

I'm not sure why anyone really thought Flash Gordon was in need of revival, but I suppose it fits in with Hollywood's current trend of remaking everything 80's, from toys to movies to cartoon shows and more. Plus, nothing can compete with Queen's score for the original 1980 movie, no matter who they get to do the score for this new one. Breck Eisner, of Sahara, isn't exactly terrible, but he isn't exactly that great either. Maybe he just needs the chance to stretch his legs and both The Creature from the Black Lagoon and Flash Gordon will allow him to do so. Any Flash Gordon fans looking forward to this revival?

Explore tags: Discussion, Movie News

http://www.10tu.com/forums dRailer

If (and that's a big if) they bother to make it as campy and corny as the 80's version... Yes. I'd like to see this about 10x more than a Buck Rogers re-do. Still I admit neither film really registers on my radar much. I work out of a home office with a co-worker and I bet twice a week the soundtrack to the 80's film ends up playing on our computers and almost always elicits a laugh or two. "I'm not your enemy, Ming is... let's all team up and fight him!" Too bad Freddy Mercury has passed on, it would be awesome to get Queen to do the soundtrack again. (...and maybe make another extremely obvious cameo?) As far as "campy" films' success in the box office -- I'm a little surprised that they'd make this with Speed Racer doing so poorly. Ah well.
Brett

I have been looking forward to this for sooooo long. For 1980, the special effects were pretty good and at the end it says The End? I think this is a good call.
http://skmovies.blogspot.com/ Sean Kelly

The think I remember most about the old movie was Queen's theme song.
Djo-Bot

There's no topping the sheer camp and over the top excess of the 70's film. Here's a more compelling question: I don't think this did very well at the box office. What will be the future of 'Cult' movies? Surely Speed Racer will be one of them. And these days anyone w/ a digital projector can show movies in their living room or local theatre, music venue, restaurant, you name it- and cheap! A new flash Gordon could NEVER achieve the level of camp the 70's one achieved, so it shouldn't even try. Plus there's no band out there that even compares to Queen (unless you had Brian May just do the whole soundtrack himself). I've a feeling this would only be green-lit if it were going back to the strips from the 30's, and taking them dead seriously. If they hurry up, I'm sure they could get funding from the Bush administration and re-visit his desires to get people to Mars. I'm not joking. You think Iron Man would've been such a success, if they weren't already developing 'Iron Man' -like suits for the military? "Every innovation in our country. Guess where they all came from? Military funding." -Robert Downey, as Tony Stark. a.k.a. Iron Man. I ain't no conspiracy nut. Ah'm jus' sayin', some things seem pretty obvious!
http://handfulofwires.blogspot.com DCompose

FLASH! AAAAAAH-AH! KIng of the Impossible!
chrisUK

Gordons alive! best camp sci fi movie ever i think.. and my 2nd favourate movie soundtrack (1st for me is Transformers: The Movie...pure 80s cheese rock!) They have done a new Flash Gordon TV show, i wonder if the ratings are good and that has sparked interest in the movie?
Scorpio

What's that smell?, oh it's box office failure.
crabby

This 80's Flash Gordon is a cult classic and one of the best sci fi movies ever. I do not know how a remake can do this movie justice. The new Flash Gordon TV show is almost unwatchable
Djomalama-ding-dong

This Alex Ross painting kicks!
Kyle A. K.

The one and only remake I care about is the Evil Dead/Army of Darkness remake with Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell actually having a decent budget.
Alfredo

I've been hoping they make a Flash Gordon movie for a while now. They have a new TV show??? I used to love the animated shows.
Scott

I'd like to see it if it's visually faithful to the look of the original comic strips, right down to the rocket ships with fins and other stylings from the 30's onward. I would like to see it as a serious drama, not camp. If there is a way to merge those two things, it could be really unique and interesting to see.
wm

I have an excellent way of making this movie...but I'm not telling anyone. You'll have to wait and see.
Pickle

As long as they bring back Queen's original "Flash Gordon" theme, I'm there!:)
Jont

all i can think about is looking at the old comic strips and then about sitting in a theatre and watching this movie in 2008. it brings a feeling of wtf
EMike

People ,People ......... Why do you say you don't like cheesy movies like this one from 1980. The intent was to be like the boy meets girl boy looses girl boy gets girl at the end and everyone is happy.This movie was also over the top with special effects for the time. I would forget that sci-fi channel did their own version which sucked big time. I would love to see a remake and welcome the cheese ..I love it !! we need more cheese in movies.