SGT. ROCK Says Bye-Bye to WWII Roots; Film Rumored to Take Place in the Future.

According to the film's producer, the comic book adaptation won't depict Easy Company fighting in the European trenches.

By multipurposeponi - Feb 01, 2010 08:02 PM EST

Filed Under: Sgt. Rock

Let's start with a little history. The original comic story takes place during World War II and follows U.S Army Infantryman Sgt. Rock; who fought in the European Theatre and eventually rose to authority within his unit, Easy Company. The unit was made up of a disparate collection of individuals who managed to participate in every major action in the European war.

The first time a film adaptation was attempted for the popular comic series was during the late 1980s andearly 1990s, with Arnold Schwarzenegger attached to portray the role. Despite the seeming incongruity of an Austrian actor playing an American G.I. during World War II was explained by depicting Rock as having a German-American father and being able to speak German (a skill he uses to ambush the enemy). This time around, the project never came to fruition.

In 2008 Joel Silver and Guy Ritchie revitalized the property. They planned on making the film as close to the source material as possible and rumors abounded that Bruce Willis was attached to play the gritty, old Sarge.

Today, the Los Angeles Times reported the latest news from Joel Silver himself about the film, and it doesn't sound good:

"It [takes place] a little bit in the future," Silver revealed about the rewritten setting. "As a war movie, it's not going to be 'where it's been,' it's going to be 'where it's going.' We didn't want to do Iraq, we didn't want to do a contemporary war. We wanted to do a sort of futuristic war. It's pretty strong. Chad St. John wrote the script and we've got Francis Lawrence involved in developing it with us. It's not a 'go' movie yet but I'm feeling good about it."

Well, that's definitely a shocker. Unlike many comic characters that have seen time setting differences throughout their lifetimes, Sgt. Rock has always been a World War II era grunt. The European Theater wasn't so much the background for the comic, but it was treated almost as another character. Is this just another treatment of the film that will never see the light of day? Silver continued:

"We've done a new draft that actually came in this week. We have a shot at that one now. I feel good about it. That one might happen."

It appears that this Sgt. Rock film will be less Saving Private Ryan and more Starship Troopers.

Information courtesy of the LA Times

MPP - This is a perfect example of the unoriginality in Hollywood. Why would someone take a character who is ROOTED in the past and haphazardly throw him into the future? Why not just make a futuristic war movie and NOT base it on a comic? Because there definitely haven't been enough of those kinds of movies out lately.

I think the little light bulb over Mr. Silver's head came to life while he was watching Avatar.

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44 Comments

1 2

supermarioworldE - 2/1/2010, 9:04 PM

Awwww Crap! well that freakin' sucks.

BryEL - 2/1/2010, 9:13 PM

F***ING BULLS***.

wolverine81 - 2/1/2010, 9:18 PM

yay capitalism

contrast - 2/1/2010, 9:22 PM

If they don't want to do World War II or the War in Iraq...set it in Vietnam, or the Korean War... I'd be more okay with that than picking him up and dropping him in the middle of...well...the G.I. Joe movie...

DogsOfWar - 2/1/2010, 9:23 PM

This will never see the light of day. Joel Silver is attached to so many movies that DON'T get made. Empire magazine was just doing an article on 10 big movies in development hell and he is attached to half of them. Wonder Woman & Lethal Weapon 5 to name a few.

Boekelaar - 2/1/2010, 9:24 PM

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo (breath) oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

DogsOfWar - 2/1/2010, 9:33 PM

@Multi-LMAO

The guy has produced some cool movies over the years but he is truly a throw it against the wall and see what sticks kinda guy.

Upupandaway - 2/1/2010, 9:56 PM

I agree with you MPP. I don't know why this couldn't of just been an original story. I think Inglorious Basterds is the closest will be getting to a comic-esque WWII film. Maybe the movie can start in WWII, then Bill, Ted, and Dr. Who can bring him in as the only hope in a future war!

Betty - 2/1/2010, 9:56 PM

Yeah just call it something else like Sgt. Pebble and his Light Saber Brigade.

Is this going to turn out like Wanted? More like "Not Wanted".

Upupandaway - 2/1/2010, 10:04 PM

Sgt. Crock of S.H.I.... You get the rest.

Kalabog - 2/1/2010, 10:10 PM

If it's NOT IN WORLD WAR II, Its definitely NOT SGT. ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!

It's like Captain America of the 70's!

Wake up Silver! It doesn't have to be high tech or futuristic!!! What an idiot!

Like what Contrast said-- another G.I. Joe!!!!

Magicfingers - 2/1/2010, 10:20 PM

WHAT THE FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-

thwhtGuardian - 2/1/2010, 10:24 PM

I hope this idea dies. Sgt. Rock isn't a time traveler.

If you want to make a future war movie, cool I'd probably watch it. But to brutally rape such an awesome character is unconscionable.

Betty - 2/1/2010, 10:27 PM

Wasn't "Band of Brothers" all about Easy Company. And it was a long series. I think they about covered it. Some of the best war stories I've ever seen.

StephenStrange - 2/1/2010, 10:29 PM

Nay.

Magicfingers - 2/1/2010, 10:30 PM

UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-

ClintEastwood - 2/1/2010, 10:33 PM

[frick] that

peterparker420 - 2/1/2010, 10:41 PM

Can anyone say..EPIC FAIL!!..YES I just DID!

Betty - 2/1/2010, 10:42 PM

Magicfingers-- lol

Multi-- oh, me no army man, obviously. So E is always for Easy? Wouldn't that get confusing? They should have gone with Ester. Yeah, Ester Company that's the ticket.

and knowing is half the battle.

DogsOfWar - 2/1/2010, 11:06 PM

@Multi-LMAO

Thought you might get a kick out of this

Betty - 2/1/2010, 11:35 PM

DogsOfWar-- Awesome

thwhtGuardian - 2/2/2010, 12:12 AM

good call grif. who knows, maybe it'll change from now and when it actually moves out of developmental hell.

SkunkApe1 - 2/2/2010, 3:18 AM

Getting it wrong right outta the gate.

LEEE777 - 2/2/2010, 4:47 AM

TEABAG @ Yeah lol!

But all i gotta say is............

WHAT A LOAD OF CRAP!!!

SGT ROCK is WWII WARNER BROS. Your better than this, you ain't [frick]ing FOX!!! (WATCHMEN/DARK KNIGHT/THE LOSERS).

Total going to A$$ BANDIT SGT ROCK if you use the future!!

Hell you might of got away with it with JONAH HEX, he's had a series in the future but not SGT ROCK!!!

Like SPIDER-MAN (If they go the ULTIMATE route), and CONAN (wtf?) = FAIL!

LEEE777 - 2/2/2010, 5:02 AM

A WWII BRUCE WILLIS vehicle = $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

comicb00kguy - 2/2/2010, 7:44 AM

IF this is true, they've just lost my money. If it's not set in the European Theater of WW2, it's not Sgt. Rock. This is one of the more outrageous and ignorant things I've heard in a while. Leave it to arrogant Hollywood idiots to take a great concept and screw it up.

JohnnyKrypton - 2/2/2010, 8:41 AM

Idiots. I can't believe these geniuses get paid for this crap OVER and OVER. Enjoy your bomb, Silver.

JohnnyKrypton - 2/2/2010, 8:41 AM

whhops, double post

JonSolo - 2/2/2010, 9:16 AM

I remeber reading my dad's old sgt. rocks and loving it. This future thing is a total bummer. The rich get richer and the fans get screwed.

AlexDeLarge87 - 2/2/2010, 9:42 AM

Well F*CK ME!... Sideways! :(

georgia49th - 2/2/2010, 11:58 AM

Say this is old news , is this a confirmation that they'll be screwwing up Sgt. Rock or just a continuation of a crappy rumor?

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