FLASH GORDON (2010) - PREVIEW 

THEY SAY

From Variety magazine:

"Sony Pictures Entertainment has emerged the highest bidder for the '30s comic strip Flash Gordon, inking a deal with Hearst for the rights to adapt into a live-action film.

According to Variety, Breck Eisner (Sahara) is attached to direct. Neal Moritz will produce through his Sony-based Original Films banner.

Flash Gordon was turned into a 1980 film that starred Sam Jones. Hearst Corp.'s King Features Syndicate optioned the property to Universal four years ago, with The Mummy director Stephen Sommers and his partner Bob Ducsay to produce. Those rights reverted back to Hearst.

In the original incarnation of Flash Gordon, the 1934 comicstrip created by Alex Raymond, Flash was a handsome polo player who is kidnapped and taken to the planet Mongo. He is pitted against an evil ruler named Ming the Merciless. Comic strip became the basis of a successful movie serial in that era that starred Buster Crabbe, who later played Buck Rogers. No production date has been set."

WE SAY

Oh dear, what the article omits is that Flash Gordon is currently an unloved TV series on the SciFi Channel. Of course those who remember Flash Gordon nowadays (if at all) are those who remember the campy 1980 movie, which may have its fans but is most likely to make people roll their eyes. And is there any other way to handle the source material except as high camp?

Only one question remains: will the new version have Queen songs in it?
 

• Read Remake Watch: Flash Gordon - "Here’s our message to Hollywood: don’t bother with another Flash Gordon movie. You’ll just lose a lot of money most probably . . ."