| Release Date: | TBA |
| Cast: | TBA |
| Director: | Stephen Sommers |
| Screen Writer(s): | Stephen Sommers |
| Official Site: | TBA |
| Trailers: | None |
| Status: | Script Stage |
| Synopsis/Plot: | Few comic strips have captured readers' imaginations like Flash Gordon." Originated in 1934 by legendary comic-strip artist Alex Raymond, Flash has set the standard for science-fiction adventure, even inspiring such modern-day classics as "Star Wars." For more than 60 years, loyal fans have explored the stars with the comics' most famous intergalactic adventurer, his female companion Dale Arden, and scientist, Dr. Hans Zarkov. In addition to the comic strip, Flash has also starred in a live-action serial, a radio show, novels, comic books, animated cartoons, and he even appears on his own U.S. postage stamp. |
| News and Rumors: |
November 20, 2004: Stephen Sommers' business partner, Bob Ducsay, is talking about where he sees the proposed new big screen version of "Flash Gordon" is going and he stated to Now Playing Magazine that it is definitely not being approached in the tongue in cheek way the previous film version was: "We're in the process of developing it. It in fact is actually going back to a lot more of the original source material for Flash and is not based on the 1980 movie. And tonally, as sort of broad entertainments as the films we make are, clearly we haven't ever worked at that level of camp. So we're not moving in that direction at all. There's all kinds of material. There's comics. There's serials. So all of those things provide source material." Will Sommers helm it? "[Stephen] is not committed to directing. What really happens is he comes across a screenplay, or he writes a screenplay, that he's interested in. And it really always comes down to the script, and since these things are works in progress it's really hard to say. For him as a director, I don't think he's really settled on what it is that he's going to do next." Thanks to 'Darkhorizons' for the article
August 12, 2004: WENN reports that spunk of the moment Ashton Kutcher is director Stephen Sommers' favourite to play the title role in his new version of the classic "Flash Gordon". The article quotes an industry source who says " Stephen sees Ashton as the perfect Flash Gordon. He has the right look, the right build and he isn't known for any one film role so he would be an empty canvas for Stephen to work with". A friend of Kutcher adds "He'd love to play a comic-book hero like Flash. Just as long as he doesn't have to wear tights". Thanks to 'DarkHorizons' for the news!
August 5, 2004: Variety reports that "The Mummy" & "Van Helsing" writer-director Stephen Sommers and his producing partner Bob Ducsay have landed the rights to Flash Gordon, and will adapt a feature film based on the iconic comic book superhero for Universal. Sommers is producing the Flash project with an eye toward scripting; Sommers has yet to helm a project he hasn't scripted. "Flash Gordon" dates back to 1934, when it was created by famed comic strip artist Alex Raymond, and for decades after appeared in movie serials, animated fare, TV shows and a ultra camp 1980 feature helmed by Mike Hodges. Thanks to 'Dark Horizons' for the news!
April 27, 2003: Both Cinescape and IGN Filmforce are reporting that Van Helsing director Stephen Sommers (The Mummy, The Mummy Returns) is set to produce a new film for Universal based on Alex Raymond's classic science fiction comic strip Flash Gordon. Sommers, who has made a career out of resuscitating Universal's pulpy horror heroes of the 1930s, may or may not direct the new Flash Gordon epic depending on the success of Van Helsing, which opens May 7. If Van Helsing dominates the box office this spring, Sommers may have to start work on a sequel almost immediately, which would make it difficult for him to direct the Flash Gordon film. According to IGN Filmforce, Ronald Sussett, who co-wrote Alien and Total Recall, is set to pen the screenplay for the new Flash Gordon film.
Flash Gordon has graced the silver screen before, most notably in the person of Buster Crabbe, who starred in the three Flash Gordon serials produced at Universal from 1936-40. The first Universal serial had an enormous budget (for the time) of $350,000 and production values far higher than most serials produced during the era. The polo playing Flash of the 1930s became a New York Jets quarterback in the 1980 Flash Gordon film, one of those movies that is so bad, it's good. Whatever the approach Universal takes this time, a Flash Gordon movie should be good for pop culture retailers. Dark Horse has published four volumes of Mac Raboy's sterling work on the Flash Gordon newspaper strip, and Checker has plans to publish an Alex Raymond Flash Gordon collection this summer.
