Twenty years in the making, the feature film adaptation of DC Comics' superhero saga 'Sgt. Rock' is finally making its way to the big screen -- with a couple of twists. 'I Am Legend' director Francis Lawrence has signed on to direct for Warner Bros., collaborating with screenwriter newcomer Chad St. John to update the arcane World War II-era setting into the future.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, 'Sgt. Rock' has been a pet project of prolific producer Joel Silver for nearly two decades, in which time the story has witnessed initial interest from a bevy of Hollywood heavyweights, including Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis, who were both tapped to star as Rock, and director Guy Ritchie, who has since set his sights on collaborating with Silver on DC Comics' 'Lobo.'
St. John, who has the spec 'The Days Before' at the top of his CV, accepted writing duties following the exit of, among others, screenwriters Brian Helgeland, Steven De Souza and Paul De Meo, all of whom have had a hand in tweaking the original WWII-set script.
The success of recent blockbusters like 'Iron Man' and 'G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra' seems to have rekindled interest in the action-adventures of Sgt. Frank Rock, a combat fighter with seemingly superhuman strength and endurance who made his debut as a side character in a 'G.I. Combat' comic book in early 1959 before taking a leading role in 'Our Army at War' later that year. The macho, gun-toting do-gooder launched a hit franchise that ran until 1988.
Silver has scrapped his original idea of recreating a stylized WII period piece and tapped Akiva Goldsman to co-produce and help helm a futuristic war story to better appeal to the Wii Generation.
Casting news has not yet been announced for the lead or the members of his of Easy Company platoon.
Add your comments