Awake to the timeless vision of the future, to the birthplace of ray-guns and rockets. In the beginning there was one hero who pioneered time, space, and the imagination. Go Hero is proud to announce the return of the original "Man of Tomorrow"...Buck Rogers in the 25th Century!
Nu Image/Millennium Films told IGN that no deal is in place yet, but now Variety
says that Nu Image/Millennium Films has acquired film rights to "Buck Rogers," and will develop a live-action feature about
the venerable pilot who awakens in the 25th Century and battles evil.
IGN also reported that Sin City and The Spirit
director Frank Miller was attached to helm the pic, but the company
later told them "they are still mulling over director
contenders."
Buck Rogers has enjoyed incarnations in books, comic strips, movies,
radio and television, a run that began in the 1920s. That included a
feature serial from Universal in 1939 that starred Buster Crabbe, and
a short-lived NBC series that starred Gil Gerard.
Nu Image/Millennium will search for a studio partner, just the way it
did after gaining the movie rights from Paradox Entertainment to
"Conan," which is now being developed with Lionsgate.
The FUTURE BEGINS:
Before Flash Gordon, Superman, or Star Wars, there was one hero among the stars that would define pop culture, science, and the comic book hero. In 1928, Buck Rogers blasted off in the pages of John F. Dille’s National Newspaper Service syndicate. Dille called on author Philip Francis Nowlan and artist Dick Calkins to develop his ideas of the future into a never before seen style of comic strip. Buck Rogers, like Rip Van Winkle, would awake to find himself in a strange new world filled with aliens, rockets, and ray guns! Fighting alongside was Wilma Deering, his strong minded love interest, and friend Dr. Huer, the 1920’s equivalent of James Bond’s Q. Later Buck would be joined by Buddy and Alura, one of the first properties to introduce the kid sidekick perspective. Together they would discover strange new worlds with wonderful character development, imaginative designs, and breathtaking action that still holds up today!
Much like in the story, the Buck Rogers’ legacy has traveled through time to the future, seeing many iterations along the way. In the same way that Batman and Superman have distinct eras that are manifestations of “the times”, Buck has evolved, transcending cultures and continents to remain relevant and entertaining. Buck, being pre-golden-age, surpasses every popular hero character in longevity, with the exception of Tarzan, which debuted the same day as Buck. Fans will also be interested to know that the original film action star Buster Crabbe, famous for playing Flash Gordon, also played Buck Rogers as well as Tarzan! Buck has been made into comic strips, comic books, radio programs, multiple TV shows, a motion picture, role playing game, novels, toys, collectables and more. The imaginative world of Buck Rogers has inspired technology, science, and space travel, earning a place in the Smithsonian. Buck’s impact is so pervasive that in the 1950s to say the phrase “that crazy Buck Rogers’ stuff” became synonymous with all things “outer space”.
The Buck Rogers legacy continues today with Flint Dille and Lorraine Williams (Dille), the grandchildren of the original creator. Fans will know Flint from his extensive work on the original Transformers cartoon, GIJOE, (for which the character Flint is named), and adapting popular action films to video games. (Including Batman Rise of Tsin Su, Frank Miller’s 300, Transformers Movie, and Sin City.) Lorraine created the company TSR, makers of Dungeons & Dragons, the preeminent role playing game. Together they draw from their extensive experience and their inherited 80 years of sci-fi, comic, and pop culture history to carry on the family business of this international icon.
2008 marks the return of the future with new projects and products tapping into the rich iconography of Buck Rogers.
First Up, Go Hero (http://www.gohero.com
and http://www.inthe25thcentury.com)
)is bringing back a full scale, sparking-popping replica of the 1930s Atomic Disintegrator, originally released by Daisy. Go Hero will also be releasing a brand new 1:6 scale collection of the original iconic designs from the 1920 and 30s. Flint Dille wrote, “When Steve Forde showed me the Go Hero collectable figures he was developing, I was amazed! They’re great. They set the benchmark for the quality we want with all of the Buck Rogers products we’ll be releasing.” (For SDCC exclusives, and to see Go Hero, visit the Rocketworld booth #4633).
The Reel Art is creating a 50’s style statue. This exciting piece will be an amalgam of different artists and poses.
Hermes Press will be releasing every Buck Rogers Daily and Sunday Comic strip in a series of books starting in late 2008. The entire comic strip canon will be available in one pristine quality set, cleaned up and beautifully presented.
Dynamic Forces is putting together what promises to be a great comic book featuring an updated 2008 Buck Rogers. Stay tuned for further announcements.
And that’s just the beginning. A feature film, an animated series and a video game are all in development… The Future is here...
® BUCK ROGERS is a registered trademark owned by The Dille Family Trust.
http://www.buckrogersdilletrust.com
2008 marks the 80th anniversary and the return of the future! Stay tuned for news collectibles, books, comics, video games, and feature film projects! Find out more...