'CHANGELING' SCRIBE ON 'FORBIDDEN PLANET'
J. Michael Straczynski to write the long-gestating remake
By Borys Kit and Jay A. Fernandez
Oct 31, 2008, 01:00 AM ET
J. Michael Straczynski, the writer of the Clint Eastwood-directed "Changeling," is penning a long-in-the-works update of sci-fi classic "Forbidden Planet" for Warner Bros. Joel Silver is producing via Silver Pictures.
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 movie, directed by Fred Wilcox, starred Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis and Leslie Nielsen, but is perhaps best known for the character Robbie the Robot.
Matt Reilly is overseeing for the studio.
While CAA-repped Straczynski is generating some heat for "Changeling," he is better known for his sci-fi and comic book work. He created TV shows "Babylon 5" and "Jeremiah," and worked on "Ninja Assassin" for Silver and the Wachowski Brothers.
Straczynski also has feature projects "The Flickering Light" and "Lensman" with Ron Howard at Imagine Entertainment, and "They Marched Into Sunlight," with Paul Greengrass directing, at Playtone and Universal.
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