December 16th, 2008 -- Written by Rodney
The Phantom movie shall begin anew down under.
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 130 million Australian dollars ($87 million), is not a sequel to the earlier picture, but a fresh look at the origins of the Phantom set in the present, scriptwriter Tim Boyle told The Associated Press in an interview Tuesday.
The concept of the Phantom was that this crime fighting legend passes down from generation to generation. I don’t understand why this cannot be a sequel to the Billy Zane flick since it will be set in modern day. This could easily be a passing of the torch to the next generation.
The Reboot is a powerful tool in Hollywood, and done right can revitalize a series when there is no where else to go. But after one film, I think its more of a remake than reboot. Its just trendy to call it a reboot lately. That seems to generate buzz.
I liked the Phantom. It captured some of that almost campy quality of the Pulp Adventure comic strips it came from. To make it modern day might strip away some of that stylizing and this concerns me.
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There’s another article right there sir; why are there more reboots than sequels these days? Or maybe it just feels that way.
I have such a soft spot for ‘The Phantom’. It’s the only time I’ve found Billy Zane remotely likeable. In fact, he’s awesome in that film.
Of they don’t want it to be a sequel. The Billy Zane movie was crap. I bet it even won a few razzies.
My absolute favourite comic growing up was The Phantom. I live in Sweden and although I like the “old” phantom by Falk and Moore/McCoy and Sy I prefer what the Scandinavian branch did from the late 70s to the late 90s with all their wonderful writers and artists. To make a movie based on one of those stories would be fantastic. One could only dread if the Australians might make a movie out of their Phantom with alla the high tech stuff. I liked the movie with Zane although I can’t understand why Falk (who was involved) agreed on changing a lot of the basic ingredients (like the Singh Pirates symbol). Crazy!
The Phantom has always been my favorite super hero, and while the first movie was beyond cheesy and laughable, it still holds a special place in my heart as a guilty pleasure, and I’m looking forward to what a more serious and well-put together Phantom movie can be like,
I found the Simon Wincer helmed film w/Billy Zane and Catherine Zeta Zones to be uneven at best, but I did like some of it. I agree that ‘the generation torch’ could be handed down. Given the timeline of the 90’s film, the events of that film doesn’t have to be mentioned all that much, if at all.
Still, do we run into the same problem as the Wincer film? Purple spandex?
I’m sorry. Phantom isn’t a character who doesn’t work onscreen. What made him slightly passable last time is the idea that the film wanted a bit more flavor from the serials.
The Phantom is pimp but that movie with Zane was pure trash, it really looked like low budget direct to VHS bullshit, for freakin’ kids, children, little blokes…
I LOVED this shit as a kid. So campy, so crappy, so much fun.
Rodney you said:
“To make it modern day might strip away some of that stylizing and this concerns me.”
Phantom comics have been in print in Australia non stop for 50+ years. They have always been written in the “modern day”. The stories published in the 40’s were set in the 40’s and the stories published in the 90’s were set in the 90’s etc (except when the stories flash back to older generations of phantom).
I think a new movie needs to be set in the modern times with a few good scenes set in the past to tell a multi-generational story.
I always liked the phantom cannot wait for it come out as a film!!
i am from india i very intersting to see my hero on the sereen with latest graphics technology
I love the phanotom comics i have collected them for probaly around 15 years give or take but could not stand the last movie.
why could we see Zanes eyes
Whats with the stupid prints all over the outfit. all tho i have to admit i prefer the black and white comics since the suit does look kinda silly just being purple
what was with the special powers in the ring and chaging so much of the orignal story for the worse. i dont mind change but not when its for the worse.
I have to admit ive only watched the movie once and blocked most if it outta of my memory the orignal tv series as corny as it was was so much better. least it was black and white.
Please do a good job of turning my favourite comic of all time into a movie this time
wow i should read what i post before posting, but you get the idea