If you saw Clint Eastwood’s “Changeling” and didn’t glance at the credits, I doubt you would know that J. Michael Straczynski, creator of the sci-fi opus Babylon 5, was the screenwriter of that movie. But that’s JMS for ya — the man is an incredibly flexible writer, and he can do anything, from comic books to sci-fi TV to period dramas. But JMS is returning to a familiar world with the announcement that he’s been tapped by Warner Bros. and uber producer Joel Silver to write an updated adaptation of the sci-fi classic movie “Forbidden Planet”. Robbie the Robot, we assume, is giddy over the news.
Here’s a little of the remake’s somewhat convoluted history back to the big screen via:
Warners picked up the project on the down-low earlier this year. As late as last year, it was set up at DreamWorks with David Twohy attached to direct. Prior to that, New Line had it. James Cameron, Nelson Gidding and Stirling Silliphant have been associated with the remake over the years.
Released in 1956, “Planet” told the tale of an expedition sent from Earth to check on a colony of scientists on a far-off planet. They find two members, a man who has found alien technology that doubled his intellect, Dr. Morbius, and his daughter, both of whom have managed to survive an unseen monster roaming the planet.
The original was directed by Fred Wilcox, and starred Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis and Leslie Nielsen. And of course, Robbie the Robot. Chicks dig the robot.
