Reportedly, SciFi Channel is developing a new Flash Gordon television series, reportedly as a "lighter" alternative/companion to the excellent, if unrelentingly downbeat Battlestar Galactica. The show is to be produced by Robert Halmi and Robert Halmi Jr. (The 10th Kingdom, Dinotopia, Farscape, and a bunch of other miniseries, usually for Hallmark Channel), although no showrunner has been named, never mind cast or writers.Well, it'll probably suck. But I doubt it will suck as much as what would have been crapped out by Stephen Sommers, who was said to be developing the property as a feature film a couple years ago before the much-deserved box office crash and burn of the dismal Van Helsing put a kibosh on the deal.
Cynical? Negative? Yeah. But given Hollywood's track record of late with classic adventure characters and concepts, can you blame me?
On the other hand, I'd sure love to be proven wrong.
I actually believe that Flash Gordon could be played faithfully to the original storyline and still work for the modern audience. Set it in period, have the actors play their roles with conviction, and pump up the special effects to fully realize the visual wonder of Alex Raymond's draftsmanship... and you'd have something special.
Well, we'll see. Or not. A lot of these projects get announced and never get made. I almost hope this is one of them.
1 comment:
I'm very cautiously optimistic.
Flash Gordon is a classic strip. I think it could be set today, if done right. But you could not use the Sam Raimi, tongue in cheek approach of Hercules and its many rip offs.
Part of the problem with casting is that Buster Crabbe really did look like Flash Gordon.
I hope for a great show, but expect to watch the first episode, curse for a long time, and never watch it again.
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