Second Movie Starring "The Phantom"

Second Movie Starring "The Phantom"

You may be one of the few that remember Billy Zane cavorting around in purple tights back in 1996's "The Phantom". Now he's back, at least the character, in a sequel called "The Phantom Legacy" being made in Austrailia.

News
By ComicBookMovie - Dec 15, 2008 11:12 AM EST
Filed Under: The Phantom
Source: AP

UPDATE: 12/15/2008 - CBM recieved an email from scriptwriter Tim Boyle, clarifying that "Legacy" will NOT be a sequel of the 1996 movie.

Hey Guys,

Just wanted to update you on "The Phantom: Legacy". I'm the writer of the screenplay that has been commissioned to be turned into the film. 1st of all - love the site. 2nd, the film we're making is NOT a sequel. I don't know how this rumor got out - but it has NOTHING to do with the 1996 movie. This film is a totally new film that will re-launch the character on the big screen.

I just wanted to let you know so you guys are totally up to date.

Cheers,

Tim

Thanks for the updated info Tim! Be sure and keep us informed as the project progresses!

Now here's the original report from the AP:

SYDNEY, Australia (AP) — Fans of the skintight purple suit rejoice: the Phantom is back. An Australian production company on Monday announced it had secured the rights to "The Phantom Legacy," a follow-up to the 1996 film, "The Phantom," which starred Billy Zane as the masked hero who fights evil from his jungle headquarters.

The latest adaptation, which is expected to cost $87 million, will focus on "the Father/Son relationship, and what it means to be The Phantom," scriptwriter Tim Boyle said in a statement. "The film will be set in the present day and will deal with the concept of destiny."

Producer Bruce Sherlock, who also served as executive producer of the first Phantom movie, said the new film will be a marked improvement over its predecessor, which received mixed reviews.

"It has the makings of a blockbuster," Sherlock told The Associated Press. "There's some surprises that will thrill the Phantom fans worldwide." Sherlock's Sydney-based Sherlock Symington Productions won the rights to the film.

The movie will likely be shot entirely in Australia, with production set to begin within six to nine months, Sherlock said. Producers are in talks with several "top talent" Australian and American actors, Sherlock said. He declined to provide names.

The Phantom began as a daily newspaper comic strip by Lee Falk in 1936. The protagonist — alter ego Kit Walker — is the 21st in a family of men who have passed the task of fighting injustice onto their sons. The first Phantom took the job to avenge his father's death at the hands of pirates.
Related:

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

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

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MarkCassidy
MarkCassidy - 12/15/2008, 11:48 AM
Remember that Phantom cartoon that was on years ago? that was pretty good. if the movie was like tyhat id go see it
adamant877
adamant877 - 12/15/2008, 12:02 PM
I believe it was called "The Defenders of the Earth", and it also had Flash Gordon, Mandrake the Magician, and some other goon named Lothar.
(I know, terrible right?)
IonParallax
IonParallax - 12/15/2008, 12:16 PM
I believe Billy Zane is cool, the movie suuuuuuucked balls. Seriously. Did not like it one bit. It COULD be done very well, but I have a baaaad feeling this is going to fall right in place, a (shitty) sequel. How fitting. Don't have ANY hopes, BUT, there could come a time when things change my mind.

BTW, Nice Avatar change again Ror.
MarkCassidy
MarkCassidy - 12/15/2008, 1:06 PM
Thanks ion! i get bored easily!

adamant877 i do remember that cartoon but im talking about a solo phantom one, it may have been set in the future..i know there wer robots in it. it was the same animation as the Aeon Flux cartoon..ah hang on ill google it..phantom 2040! it was very good
TheUnknown
TheUnknown - 12/15/2008, 1:23 PM
Great to hear that these newspaper comic strips haven't been forgotten in the movie biz
Shaman
Shaman - 12/15/2008, 1:37 PM
Garfield kicks odie's ass!!!
IonParallax
IonParallax - 12/15/2008, 1:50 PM
On a regular basis...They need to bring back Calvin & Hobbes. I think that was the BEST newspaper comic strip EVER! Then they did a spoof of it on Robot Chicken where Calvin was thrown into a mental institute. Freakin AWESOME!

But yea, BLAAAAAH on The Phantom. Billy Zane, ok, Phantom BOOOOOO!
crappybumbum
crappybumbum - 12/15/2008, 2:43 PM
Hey why do I remember seeing this movie when I was four? It wasn't 1996 yet!

Anywho, I barely even remember the movie but I think I thought it sucked...idk I guess I'll watch it again and get back to this...
MarkCassidy
MarkCassidy - 12/15/2008, 3:09 PM
ive never actually watched the whole thing but what i remember seeing i pretty much detested!
d3vine
d3vine - 12/15/2008, 3:36 PM
It wasnt that bad of a movie.I mean it wasnt nearly as horrible as The Shadow which also came out around that time. Granted I saw that also and I think I liked it. Oh to be young again
IonParallax
IonParallax - 12/15/2008, 6:08 PM
Darkman (the 'tard from LA Law/Dr Giggles)
The Shadow (One of the umpteen Baldwin brothers)
The Phantom (Purple Tights and he's in the CITY! Need I remind you, this had Crystal Skulls in it.)
Catwoman (Halle Berry as NOT Selina Kyle)
Punisher (Dolph Lundgren, sewers and a motorcycle)
Nick Fury (David Hasslehoff)
Captain America (THE ENTIRE MOVIE, except Red Skull he was cool)
Batman III and IV (Neon lights, Batnipples, The Bat Card, "Holy rusted Metal Batman", Val Kilmer, Alicia Silverstone)
Superman ANYTHING! I don't even need to put things in parenthesis for this one.
That Fantastic Four movie that DIDN'T get released, ya, look it up. TERRIBLE.
Swamp Thing
Dragonball Emo-DOUCHE-on
Justice League TV Pilot. (Flash, Green Lantern (Guy Gardner?) Fire, Ice and Hawkman or some shyte..WTF?!)
First version of an animated X-Men series in the 90's..what was it, Pryde of the X-Men, where Wolverine has an AUSTRALIAN accent (maybe that was precognition determining Jackman being Wolverin 20yrs later)
I guess I could go on and on with travesties of comic book movie etc. But seriously, do we NEED another Phantom movie? No, I think not!
IonParallax
IonParallax - 12/15/2008, 6:34 PM
Well, ok, that's a little better. But does it really make The Phantom a good choice for a movie? Really? It does give a little more hope to things knowing it's not a sequel...Buuuuut, it's still The Phantom, so I guess, until I see something solid of pics or a trailer, or bootleg trailer, i'll reserve judgement...For now. But beware! I do not come lightly with my interpretations of what I see. So be careful...I'll be watching.
da2213viking
da2213viking - 12/16/2008, 1:09 AM
it might be good, b ut honestly i never cared about this guy anyways
ScorpioEagle1
ScorpioEagle1 - 12/16/2008, 7:50 AM
The Phantom??? Come on man.. there are so many GOOD characters that are actually interesting and relevant a movie could be made of and they pick this guy to throw $85 million behind? Makes no sense at all.. I've never been a fan of the Phantom and I don't think most people even know who this guy is. Why??? I don't get it..

Can someone enlighten me?
I'm starting to think these guys are afraid to tackle characters that have super powers and abilities that will cost more money to put on screen. So they go after these obscure characters that are more real that no one cares about.. like the Phantom, I guess they'll be another Flash Gordon movie as well.. why not do a whole movie on side kicks guys who don't have powers at all.. like the green arrow or the crimson avanger.. ahhh this sucks.. I am guessing "The Spirit" is going to suck as well..
Shaman
Shaman - 12/16/2008, 8:37 AM
Okay ION, DO NOT DISS THE FIRST VERSION OF THE X-MEN ANIMATED SERIES!!!! Yes you're right, Wolverine had a bad Australian accent! That was the only "problem" with that animated show!!! It had THE BEST animation ever, same as Thundercats!!! It was THE BEST version of Magneto ever put on screen! Colossus was RUSSIAN and kicked ass, Nightcrawler was amazing, White Queen was cool as hell, Juggernaut was as he sould've always been, Storm was expendable like she always is, Cyclops was douchetastic, Toad was just like in the comics as well as Pyro! And kitty pride was well... kitty pride. Those cartoons(gi joe, thundercats, ninja turtles) back then had a great "atmosphere" generated by the animation, the sound track and characters themselves that you can't find anymore in the new series. Wolverine might have had an autralian accent however, in my opinion, it was the best version ever made of him (aside from the movies of course, Jackman rules), he was a hot headed loner that always had the urge to bitch about something. He was still cool and he had his original brown costume which kicked ass. Even though i do like the new series called "Wolverine and the X-men", it will never be as good as the original 80's pilot that was narated by Stan the Man himself! This pilot is worth getting your hands on!!!
warpath15
warpath15 - 12/16/2008, 8:50 AM
Phantom. The original gay superhero movie.
De2Kapinos
De2Kapinos - 12/16/2008, 10:09 AM
Reboots are always hit or miss. If you look back at the original Phantom movie it follows the comic somewhat closely. The thing that would scare me is adding characters to the story like Mandrake the Magician, who was a whole separate comic strip just done by the same author. That would suck because it is an awful character. Phantom isn't exactly a high class hero in the world of comics, but he stands a chance as long as there a no straggler heroes hanging on in this movie. There does however need to be a great villain, not some treasure hoarder or anything like that.
Minotauro
Minotauro - 12/16/2008, 11:55 AM
Remake they need too do is The Shadow!...
Shaman
Shaman - 12/16/2008, 1:23 PM
Weehoo, we seem to be makin' waves here at comicbookmovie.com!!! SWEET, see we gotta start somewhere!!! Let's make our voices heard to the execs baby! Any of you important guys want to check out what FANS really want to see, this is definitly the website to do it! Need any casting help, check out my fansite "My Secret Identity Picks" where everyone's opinion matters! Shameless plug i know LOL.
IonParallax
IonParallax - 12/16/2008, 3:11 PM
I've shamelessy plugged my own several times. It's OK. I even plugged mine on someone elses fansite. I think that may have been a little off-color, but hey, he didn't mail me like I said to if he had a problem with it. So, I guess he doesn't, and there the plug stays.

As for Pryde of the X-Men Shaman. You've got some good points, PLUS, it spawned one of the BEST ARCADE GAMES EVER! That multiplayer X-Men arcade game was FANTASTIC! Loved it. Even if Juggernaut had a freakin' bazooka, it was a sweet game.

But, there's a reason only a pilot was made. Because the idea was shot down. Something was wrong with it (besides Logan's accent and Kitty's RIDICULOUS whine) But you can usually find this on VHS at wal-mart, k-mart, odd lots, one of the above. You're bound to find it somehwere, the printed millions of copies of the thing.

I believe the next production team to foul up a classic character to the point where the movie just blows because of it, and you piss off more than 55% of the fan community, they should be tarred and feather on satellite television warning any other team that is deciding on doing a movie like that better get it right...Or else!
SirJediFrank
SirJediFrank - 12/16/2008, 5:40 PM
I remember seeing it in a Convention back in 95 or 96, i was like 16, and to be honest i remember liking it.

but now more than 10 years later we became more judging and demanding and thats ok.

back then i got hooked by the 30´s-40´s-cinematic-superhero- environment that i think the Phantom did pull off nicely...that´s why a movie like SKY CAPTAIN (with its RETRO-FUTURE-environm) made me want to see it- despite Gwynett Paltrow´s terrible performance-

ScorpioEagle1: And as for making easier-cheaper movies i think i understand what you mean, BUT as far as i know, ALL the superpowered-well known by people-characters ARE ALREADY OWNED by the bigger studio$$$, SO, from time to time we hear these news of "small" characters (powers or not) movies being launched (or rebooted likethis one) by smaller studios. ( well 86 millions is no bargain i think, so they better make this one right..or big lo$$$ hehe).

HEY ION: thanks for the welcome to this Forum, back in another post!

And CBM, GREAT SITE.
TheColonel
TheColonel - 12/16/2008, 7:00 PM
Phantom = Lame!
Shaman
Shaman - 12/16/2008, 7:20 PM
You're right ION, it did spawn a kick ass game! Aaahh those were the days. Don't worry, i have my copy. Unfortunitaly, it's only on VHS.

Sir Jedi, you're always more than welcome to make your voice heard! There are never enough opinions to go around on a discution board. Just as long as you share the love for comics that we all have, which then makes your opinion have actual purpose. And since we now have confirmation that people in the industry are aware of us fans, it's the best time to join in :))
SirJediFrank
SirJediFrank - 12/17/2008, 8:59 AM
Thank you Shaman, and yeah, speaking up one´s mind is what it´s all about, right?

And yes, the MAIL sent by the screen writer to the CBM staff is i think a great proof of that awareness, i think it works better for the studios to surf sites like this one, than to do a poll in the streets to people walking around taking an opinion on a movie project they will NEVER go to see anyway or perhaps young people who are not fans or don´t know the character they are being polled at.


Shaman
Shaman - 12/17/2008, 3:03 PM
Frank, you're statement should be yelled on rooftops! You're so right it's not even funny!!!
SirJediFrank
SirJediFrank - 12/17/2008, 4:59 PM
hehe .well but at least they should check these sites kinda undercover, i mean, if a guy in charge of the advertising campaing for a movie, will tell his boss: ´hey let´s do this thing i read in CBM, the fans proposed it!!´.. NOT!!, HE WON¨T SAY IT!!.. so those guys, NOT ALL OF THEM OF COURSE BUT SOME, have to justify their jobs so they come out with weird ad-campaings-general public-friendly-oriented... hehe sorry i think i´m totally out of topic by now

haha.

Ok. hey cool avatar, is that GOD OF WAR??.. the Lobo one was cool too...i think i´m changing mine too,like some of you guys do, cause yes the guy with the lightsaber is me...but an earlier edition haha LOL.
Shaman
Shaman - 12/18/2008, 8:11 AM
Yeah, i liked LOBO too but this is my girlfriend's own personal request since i look just like Kratos "God of War" but with glasses LOL :P

I like yours too, mabe make a bigger piture of yourself with that light saber! That would be kick ass!
IonParallax
IonParallax - 12/18/2008, 7:07 PM
Lightsabers rule. I wish I had one...No, I don't, I wish I had a Green Lantern ring, then i'd make my own saber of light...or whatever the heck I wanted I guess. But anyway, we do need more people to comment on these sections. I see the same 17 names over and over. Me, Shaman, Ror, Adamant, Warpath, Grif, Scorpio, Unknown, Crappybumbum, Richunkle, HR, Souleater, Weapon X, Comicmans, Insanemilesy, GUNSMITH and NoobMike.

Now, I have to thank JediFrank, TheColenel, da2213viking and several others for their posts, but still, all in all total, there's probably 30 people who comment here? Maybe 35. I think we need some serious diversity goin' on. Fo' Shizzle mah nizzle.

Ha! But seriously, you're all cool, in your own way, so keep it up, because this site is awesome, and as much as it is the articles we come to see initially, it is the people who comment regularly that keep us coming back. GOOD SHOW! Vote Book of Oa. YaaaaaaaY!
Shaman
Shaman - 12/19/2008, 6:14 AM
Brusekier and King Will are regulars on my fansite, odd that we hardly see them on the home page threads. Come on people let's make ourselves noticed!!!

And to think that before the "war of the gay superheroes" thread happened, every thread had an average of 3 posts and people wheren't answering each other, they were just putting their two cents on the page and never come back to it. This web site whent from "I'll check if there's anything new, be back in a sec" to "shut up, i got my fansite to work on as well as 30 posts to reply to!!!". This website has evolved tremendously!!! Cudos Jim!!!
PhantomPunch
PhantomPunch - 5/11/2013, 5:51 AM
Someone. Fan cast it
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