MANDRAKE THE MAGICIAN And MOBY DICK Movies Get New Writers

MANDRAKE THE MAGICIAN And MOBY DICK Movies Get New Writers

Puss In Boots scribe Tom Wheeler has been set by Warner Bros. to rewrite their Mandrake The Magician film, while Universal has hired Contraband writer Aaron Guzikowski to pen a new take on Moby Dick (which will be directed by Wanted's Timur Bekmambetov).

By PaulRom - Jun 15, 2012 11:06 AM EST
Filed Under: Action
Source: Variety



Variety has landed a couple of scoops concerning the upcoming film adaptations of Mandrake The Magician and Moby Dick. First up, the site reports that Warner Bros. has hired Tom Wheeler (who has previously scripted Dreamworks Animation's Puss In Boots spin-off) to rewrite their Mandrake The Magician movie, which will be a new modern take on the character (who is described as "a powerful illusionist who hypnotized foes from gangsters to aliens"). The film will be based on the classic comic strip created by Lee Falk in 1934. David and Janet Peoples wrote the first draft of the script. The film has been in development since 2009 at WB/Altas Entertainment. Charles Roven and Andy Horwitz are overseeing the project for Atlas, while Sarah Schechter will oversee for WB. No director is currently attached.

Meanwhile, Variety also reports that Universal Pictures has set a new writer for their adaptation of the classic novel Moby Dick, which will be directed by Timur Bekmambetov (who has previously helmed Wanted and next week's Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter). Aaron Guzikowski, who has previously written Contraband for the studio, will rewrite the Moby Dick script (which has been worked on by Adam Cooper, Bill Collage and Evan Spiliotopoulos). The latest rewrite is expected to lower the budget of the film. The site notes that the original draft, written by Cooper and Collage, "reimaged the classic novel by ditching the first-person narration of young seaman Ishmael in order to depict the whale's decimation of other ships prior to its encounter with Captain Ahab's vessel. Ahab will also be depicted as more charismatic, rather than just hell-bent on revenge." Bekmambetov will produce with Jim Lemley and Bluegrass Films' Scott Stuber, as well as Cormac and Marianne Wibberley.









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biggcess
biggcess - 6/15/2012, 11:41 AM
jimmy crack corn.
biggcess
biggcess - 6/15/2012, 11:42 AM
.......1st.
Tevii
Tevii - 6/15/2012, 11:49 AM
Wow... re-writes are common I know, but still

This is exactly why I wrote this editorial:

How Warner Bros. Is Giving Me an Ulcer
http://www.comicbookmovie.com/other_news/news/?a=61083
TheAmazingSpidey63
TheAmazingSpidey63 - 6/15/2012, 12:22 PM
@yoss - LoL, the only way to tell your kid magic ain't real. :P
JDUKE25
JDUKE25 - 6/15/2012, 12:33 PM
@yoss LAMO amazing
ThunderCougarFalconBird
ThunderCougarFalconBird - 6/15/2012, 12:41 PM
Mandrake?

WB's answer to the Avengers will be DEFENDERS OF THE EARTH! That could actually be pretty sweet!
carrowsboy
carrowsboy - 6/15/2012, 12:46 PM
This before a Flash or Wonder Woman film? Seriously???
ThunderCougarFalconBird
ThunderCougarFalconBird - 6/15/2012, 12:55 PM
Defenders of the Earth, Defenders!
Out of the sky his rockets ignite!
Jets into battle, flies faster than light!
Flash Gordon!
Lord of the jungle, the hero who stalks!
The beasts call him brother, the ghost who walks!
Phantom!
Defenders of the Earth, Defenders!
Master of magic, spells and illusion,
Enemies crumble in fear and confusion!
Mandrake!
Defenders of the Earth, Defenders! 
His strength is a legend, his skills conquer all,
Armed with his power, we never will fall!
Lothar!
Defenders of the Earth, Defenders!
With our new young hero's, proving their worth,
Four become eight, defending the Earth!
Defenders of the Earth, Defenders!
hammerofharpel
hammerofharpel - 6/15/2012, 1:04 PM
I am proud to say I read Moby Dick (I skipped the part about Whale anatomy -- all three chapters of it). It's a terribly long and drawn out prose and requires great patience to see it through. Melville can write and its prose are beautiful but...LONG.

It's an immense read. Rad Bradbury did it right focusing on Ahab, a supporting character in the book, over Ismael, the main character of the novel, and made that the main story. Ahab's battle with the Whale is actually a subplot that only starts towards the end of the novel. After the battle, Ismael is left in the ocean as the ship is destroyed realizing he is just another orphan at sea.

Anyway, to make Moby Dick a film is a huge challenge. I when the production team well -- they'll need it.
hammerofharpel
hammerofharpel - 6/15/2012, 1:04 PM
I mean "I wish the production team...not I when the production team.
AlexDeLarge87
AlexDeLarge87 - 6/15/2012, 1:24 PM
Hope they end up being good movies. :)

Liam Neeson is obvious choice as Captain Ahab.
Daniel Day-Lewis would be great too BUT... i doubt he takes the role. Maybe if he needs money but otherwise... I SERIOUSLY DOUBT.
Optimus83
Optimus83 - 6/15/2012, 1:55 PM
the real Moby Dick is Chilean. ...a chilean whale called Mocha Dick
aNarcHy2day
aNarcHy2day - 6/15/2012, 2:07 PM
I did work up a Defenders of the Earth fancast only recently. Check that out too and if you like it, call a WB exec down here. LOL. Also, leave a word behind on the thread.
It would be awesome if DotE actually happened!
AlexDeLarge87
AlexDeLarge87 - 6/15/2012, 2:12 PM
I wonder where is that Captain Nemo movie David Fincher was going to make? Would love to see it coming fruition already.
nuclearpriest
nuclearpriest - 6/15/2012, 2:13 PM
With all the superheroes in the DC stable, magical and otherwise, why is WB studios bothering with a largely forgotten entity like Mandrake?
dnno1
dnno1 - 6/15/2012, 3:02 PM
dnno1
dnno1 - 6/15/2012, 9:04 PM
You smoked when you were a kid?
musicsuperhero1
musicsuperhero1 - 6/15/2012, 10:14 PM
yeah sometimes you really have to scratch your head and wonder what warner bros/dc is thinking. shake your head in dumbfounded bewilderment bwwahaha...but seriously...no base for that to start a franchise...and this before Flash or WonderWoman? Yikes. I mean, a Defenders of the Universe movie could be cool...but this just has bad idea written all over it (reminds me of certain other bad ideas ...Jonah Hex...Catwoman...not doing Joss Whedon's WonderWoman...not doing David S Goyer's Flash..etc)
FireKnightRises
FireKnightRises - 6/15/2012, 10:26 PM
what about FLASH and WW Warner?
FlixMentallo21
FlixMentallo21 - 6/15/2012, 10:51 PM
Maybe the Mandrake film will lead to a revival of comic strip-based films. Perhaps Prince Valiant and Terry and the Pirates will be next.
musicsuperhero1
musicsuperhero1 - 6/16/2012, 9:13 AM
My hope would be that they would have Mandrake and Lothar in one movie...do a Phantom reboot and a Flash Gordon reboot...then have them all in one movie (similar to Avengers). But honestly...this is so obscure.
AnungUnRama
AnungUnRama - 6/16/2012, 12:00 PM
@musicsuperhero1: That's pretty much what came to my mind
Fogs
Fogs - 6/17/2012, 5:26 AM
@nuclearpriest - because harry potter.
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