The notion that J. Michael Straczynski is scripting a re-do of the sci-fi classic Forbidden Planet didn’t go over so well. Not many films are truly inviolate, but that seems to be one of the few, according to what I heard from a lot of people. Proud of you all — the film was always a huge touchstone for me, but for some reason I didn’t think it was held high in popular esteem.
Beaks and Harry over at AICN now have some new details of the potential project. Namely, that it would be a slightly reimagined sequel rather than a remake. Harry’s source says that it’s ‘less of a remake and more of a continuation’. Harry ruminates on what that could mean, but I’m more intrigued by the other detail, that it would be an “enormous, giant, retro sci-fi movie”; in other words, they’re going to implement the design of the original rather than attempt something modern.
Given that they’re also told that Robbie the Robot will be in the film, I love the idea that it could be a fully retro sci-fi epic. How often have similar attempts worked in the past? Rarely. But it’s the sort of thing I’ll always hold out hope for. Let’s see who gets attached to direct, assuming the film happens at all…