Concept Art: Billy Zane's THE PHANTOM (1996)

Concept Art: Billy Zane's THE PHANTOM (1996)

Conceptual artist Jim Martin ("Captain America: The First Avenger") has a wonderful collection of concept art he designed for the 1996 superhero film, The Phantom. The film starred Billy Zane (Titanic) and was directed by Simon Wincer (Free Willy).

By nailbiter111 - Dec 30, 2014 01:12 PM EST
Filed Under: The Phantom
Source: Jim Martin

First off, I'm not a big fan of superhero films in which the superhero has no superpowers, but of course there are exceptions to that rule like Batman and Black Widow. I guess I really should say, I prefer my superheroes to have superpowers. Secondly, I'm not a big fan of the color purple, yet funny enough, I like The Color Purple (1985). Go figure. With all that said, I actually enjoyed the 1996 superhero film, The Phantom. Its not the greatness film in the world, but it has its moments and the supporting cast is actually quite good. Heck, we get to see a young Catherine Zeta-Jones ("Red 2") blossom two years before she became an overnight star because of her performance in The Mask of Zorro.

Below, is some fantastic concept art Jim Martin created for the film, which starred Billy Zane ("Zoolander") and was directed by Simon Wincer ("Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles"). I especially like the alternate designs for the Skull Cave, which is where The Phantom resides in the fictional African country of Bangalla.

The first superhero ever, created by Lee Falk in 1936, gets another shot at movie stardom 60 years after achieving fame in comics and serials. Billy Zane stars as Kit Walker, who discovers that he's the 21st in a line of purple-clad African superheroes known as "The Phantom" or, to superstitious Bengalla Island natives, "the Ghost Who Walks." When he's not fighting the evil Singh Brotherhood with his faithful wolf Devil and white horse Hero, the Phantom lives in the hidden Skull Cave. Kit discovers that Xander Drax (Treat Williams), a slimy industrialist, is plotting to take over the world by uniting the three long lost magical Skulls of Touganda. So he travels to New York, where he finds allies in crusading newspaper publisher Dave (Bill Smitrovich) and his niece, Diana (Kristy Swanson), who's also Kit's ex-girlfriend. Kit and Diana tackle Drax's forces, including the conflicted Sala (Catherine Zeta-Jones), in a quest for the Skulls that brings both sides back to Bengalla for a showdown. The Phantom's mixture of elaborate stunts with liberal doses of tongue-in-cheek humor was characteristic of screenwriter Jeffrey Boam, whose previous films included Innerspace (1987) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989).
Related:

New Big-Screen Adaptation Of THE PHANTOM In The Works?

Recommended For You:

The Phantom Miniseries Blu-Ray Cover!

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DEVLIN712
DEVLIN712 - 12/30/2014, 1:56 PM
Love that first image of him in the cave.
michaeljames
michaeljames - 12/30/2014, 2:13 PM
Zane would have been an awesome Luthor
Ruin818
Ruin818 - 12/30/2014, 2:16 PM
Not going to lie and not even embarrassed that this was probably my favorite movie for about a year (maybe 2 years) when I was growing up. I wanted his ring SOOOOO bad. Now that Im grown and make good money, I might just track one of those bad boys down..lol
BarKells
BarKells - 12/30/2014, 2:17 PM
I used to love this movie as a kid.
slickrickdesigns
slickrickdesigns - 12/30/2014, 2:20 PM
LOL, I could've drawn this on a napkin drunk off my arse…
Greengo
Greengo - 12/30/2014, 2:30 PM
I've got this movie on bluray.
Greengo
Greengo - 12/30/2014, 2:32 PM
If you have pleasant memories of this movie, don't spoil it by watching it now.

I tarnished my memories of Masters of the Universe when I watched it again recently after 20 years.
MarkyMarkRises
MarkyMarkRises - 12/30/2014, 2:45 PM
Corny as hell, odd, but lots of cheesy charm
TheFox
TheFox - 12/30/2014, 2:46 PM
This movie would have been so, so much better if Bruce Campbell had won the role instead of Billy Zane. Campbell was apparently one of the finalists for the part-- and while I like Billy Zane, his Phantom was unbelievably dull, and his Kit Walker was even worse.

The Phantom was a role that DEMANDED an over-the-top, matinee-idol leading man in the part. The movie ripped off Raiders of the Lost Ark mercilessly, so to really work, it needed that sort of bigger-than-life hero at its core to get it off the ground. It needed personality. What we got instead was Billy Zane acting blandly agreeable and occasionally punching people in a full-body purple condom.

The movie ended up being incredibly boring for a number of reasons-- the flat direction, the corny writing, the aforementioned shamelessness in stealing from Raiders-- but at least having Bruce Campbell in the lead could have given it some solid camp appeal. As it stands, though, I can barely sit through the damn thing.

Z
Greengo
Greengo - 12/30/2014, 2:52 PM
Of course everyone should own this, Condorman, The Shadow, and Masters of the Universe for the nostalgia.
Nickk
Nickk - 12/30/2014, 2:57 PM
i can't comment on sony article
fastflames
fastflames - 12/30/2014, 2:58 PM
Keep it coming nail
Nickk
Nickk - 12/30/2014, 3:01 PM
was this movie bad or good?
sameoldthing
sameoldthing - 12/30/2014, 3:05 PM
This movie was a very fun adventure movie,never trying to be anything more than a pulp action film.
The story had s simple formula,it wasn't trying too hard & effects fit the style of movie..it's not a big budget movie.
Worth watching.
Greengo
Greengo - 12/30/2014, 3:07 PM
@nail LMAO!
Greengo
Greengo - 12/30/2014, 3:11 PM
I was surprised to find out like 2 years ago Skeletor was played by Frank Langella.
robometrallador
robometrallador - 12/30/2014, 3:11 PM
i loved it as a kid, but damn concept artists have come a long way, nowadays you need to be twice as good in lighting and naturalism only to get b movie material on your drawing table.
Greengo
Greengo - 12/30/2014, 3:18 PM

It's like the concept art, only kinkier:

aknightinarkham
aknightinarkham - 12/30/2014, 3:31 PM
One of the most underrated CBMS IMO. Just a modern pulp classic. Whether it's Billy Zane being his charmingly heroic and slightly deadpan Kit Walker, James Remar doing his classic henchman bit, or Treat Williams hamming it up like a madman, just a fun movie all around.
SteveBosell
SteveBosell - 12/30/2014, 3:33 PM
I loved the movie and I actually really enjoyed the SyFy reboot from 2009:

aknightinarkham
aknightinarkham - 12/30/2014, 4:21 PM
@MrNiklader

Agreed. And there's a perfect template for a reboot too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Phantom#Phantom_2040

They could also base it on the current Dynamite books and build a shared universe of the defenders of the earth

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defenders_of_the_Earth
MileHighRonin
MileHighRonin - 12/30/2014, 4:26 PM
I still enjoy this film, watched it the other day. Growing up my favorite color was purple, so when the Phantom came out I was ecstatic.
SWelch
SWelch - 12/30/2014, 7:01 PM
I actually really like this movie. Thought Billy Zane did a terrific job as the Phantom. Would love to see a Zane come back but as an older version with his son becoming the new Ghost Who Walks. Just keep in the the same time period of the 30s/40s.
Nemeres
Nemeres - 12/30/2014, 7:31 PM
I love this movie. Shame it tanked. :/ #ghostwhowalksrulez
mgeoff88
mgeoff88 - 12/30/2014, 7:37 PM
Billy Zane! One of my friends actually looks a bit like him, ha ha.

This is a movie that needs to be rebooted. It could be a great franchise if done right.
loki668
loki668 - 12/30/2014, 9:57 PM
It was a simpler time...........an innocent, if naive, time...........a time when you looked at Billy Zane and Treat Williams as a formula for a hit. Oh, the hard lessons we learned............
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