"The Phantom Legacy", a re-imagining of 1996's "The Phantom"

[biolumen]

Australian company wins rights to new Phantom film

15th December 2008, 15:45 WST

An Australian company has won the rights to bring comic book hero The Phantom to the big screen for a new generation.

Sydney-based Sherlock Symington Productions has secured the rights to The Phantom Legacy, a $130 million special effects-laden blockbuster that they say will shine the spotlight on some of the best actors and film crews in the country.

Executive producer Bruce Sherlock said the latest adaptation would improve on the 1996 Phantom movie starring Billy Zane and Catherine Zeta-Jones, on which he also served as executive producer.

“I, frankly, think that’s what was missing in the first Phantom - we had a very limited budget,” he said.

“It’s a better budget this time and also I just feel very comfortable with the script.

“I think we did it okay before, but I really, honestly, feel we can do it better. A lot better.”

He said The Phantom Legacy would follow the lead of recent films like The Dark Knight and Iron Man, which won over new audiences with their serious treatment of comic book stories.

The Phantom Legacy has been written by Australian Tim Boyle, who is also tipped to direct it, and will focus on the father/son relationship and what it means to the Phantom.

“The film will be set in the present day and will deal with the concept of destiny,” Mr Boyle said.

Producers were in talks with several “top talent” Australian and international actors, Sherlock said, and hoped to begin work on the film in the second half of 2009.

The movie will be shot in Australia, making use of local creative talent.
Sherlock said the film was a win for the Australian film industry.

“We’re really, really excited about it,” Mr Sherlock said.

“We feel we have a blockbuster and...we just really wanted to take advantage of top cinematographers and talent in Australia.”

The Phantom comic strip was created by Lee Falk in 1936.

The purple suited hero is the 21st in a family of men who have passed the task of fighting greed, corruption and cruelty onto their sons.

The first Phantom took the job to avenge his father’s death at the hands of pirates.

http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=5&ContentID=113347

 

[cryptic name]

always wanted to see another phantom movie. looking forward to this.

 

[November Rain]

make it dark, i don't even mind basing it off the 2040 series, i think that had a lot going for it and fits in with today's themes even more.

saying that, he still needs a hardcore quest and decent foe.

as for storyline, the avenging dead father thing has been overdone so....maybe something else is in order. Maybe a rogue phantom or a female phantom.

 

[Alien Anal]

ahaha will they sound Australian?

Australian sci fi fantasy type stuff never works with an aussie accent
we always sound too enthusiastic about things.

Ever since i was a child and played with my toys, i always used an american accent.

 

[SoulManX]

Christ how many times have they tried to get this going it will never happen

 

[xwolverine2]

they will lose all that money

 

[FilmNerdJamie]

Billy Zane must be turning in his grave right now...

 

[TheVileOne]

Zane wouldn't be in it if it's a present day Phantom.

 

[Doctor Jones]

So how are they gonna not make the suit look stupid and cheesy as hell?

 

[The Guard]

Armor.

This has been trying to get off the ground for about eight years. We'll see if it actually happens.

 

[Alchemyst]

Billy Zane must be turning in his grave right now...

yeah....if he were dead

 

[TNC9852002]

LMAO

-TNC

 

[Wesley Dodds]

More superhero's parents should die at the hands of pirates.

 

[Spade]

Billy Zane must be turning in his grave right now...

But Billy Zane's not dead.

I wasn't that thrilled with the Zane movie, but Phantom 2040 remains a childhood favorite. I'm not intensely familiar with the original incarnation, but so long as they try to stay true to the source material and the writing is good this could be a worthwhile endeavor.

 

[xwolverine2]

But Billy Zane's not dead.

i think he was talking about his career

 

[Octoberist]

But Billy Zane's not dead.

I wasn't that thrilled with the Zane movie, but Phantom 2040 remains a childhood favorite. I'm not intensely familiar with the original incarnation, but so long as they try to stay true to the source material and the writing is good this could be a worthwhile endeavor.

awww..you missed the sarcasm.

 

[chamber-music]

But Billy Zane's not dead.

I wasn't that thrilled with the Zane movie, but Phantom 2040 remains a childhood favorite. I'm not intensely familiar with the original incarnation, but so long as they try to stay true to the source material and the writing is good this could be a worthwhile endeavor.

Phantom 2040 was awesome as was defenders of the earth

 

[Octoberist]

I'm just worried that this movie may not be in the right hands. It reminds me on how the new Solomon Kane movie is being handled.

Everything is being done by a weird no no production house, the budget is NOT super huge, so I'm worried that I'm getting (no offense) Mutant Chronicles, only with The Phantom.

 

[Cmill216]

I don't have a problem with another Phantom film, but for $87 million? That's asinine.

 

[Spade]

One figure's 87, another is 130...do we have anything official from the horse's mouth on this?

 

[biolumen]

I think the $130 million is in Australian dollars, since at the current exchange rate that equals about $90 million US dollars.

 

[JokerLedger]

I saw the phantom movie when I was a kid and I remember liking it. It's all very vague though.

 

[Octoberist]

I think the $130 million is in Australian dollars, since at the current exchange rate that equals about $90 million US dollars.

it's possible 87 million is not bad in the Australian movie industry because it's cheaper to film over there.

I'm just afraid of something that will be kinda cheap, but I hope I'm wrong. I'm not against independent financing at all, and I'm all for that. It's just that I don't know a darn thing about Tim Boyle. His resume is damn slim, so he could be the next Scorese or the next Stephen Sommers.

 

[Superark]

I actually found The Phantom really enjoyable. It's cheesy fun! Treat Williams was such an over the top goon, so great!

Thank God I found the movie at Wal-Mart last year. Gotta love those $5.00 DVDs!

 

[TwilightPro101]

Phantom 2040 was awesome as was defenders of the earth

Third that. I still remember the SNES game tied into it. Have the old VHS of the 2040 premiere.