With Serenity and Riddick not exactly returning Lucas-sized profits for the studio (which is not a statement of quality — I prefer those flicks infinitely more than the prequels), Universal is seeking another grand space epic to line their pockets. Time for a field trip to the library!

Universal has dusted off Alfred Bester’s influential 1956 sci-fi novel The Stars My Destination for the feature treatment. The futuristic story (also known as Tyger! Tyger!) is essentially a less noble retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo, with a murderous space scoundrel adrift in the cosmos, seeking revenge on the crew of a ship who decided not to rescue him.

I could swear a movie adaptation was planned long ago with Bruce Willis as rancorous spaceman Gully Foyle, but there doesn’t seem to be any record of it out there (it’s times like this when I miss the diligence of Corona’s Coming Attractions).