Buck’s Coming Back!

Every week I talk about an upcoming movie.  Usually it’s one that’s slated to be out next year.  This week is a little different, though.  This week I learned that a new Buck Rogers is to be coming out in 2011 and I just had to say something about it.

I’m 28 now and one of my fondest memories of childhood was watching Gil Gerard in Buck Rogers with my dad.  I used to love that time.  In fact, I loved it so much that, when the series came out on DVD, I bought it.  So, you can imagine my delight when I found out there’s a Buck Rogers movie in the making.

My excitement only built further when I heard who was directing it.  None other than Frank Miller, comic book great, will be the director.  Frank Miller is also well known for co-directing Sin City.  On top of that, his solo directing debut movie is set to come out in January, The Spirit, which, of course, is based on another comic book hero.

Apparently, Mr. Miller is good friends with Flint Dille, who, aside from being a video game and TV producer, is also the grandson of John Dille.  John Dille is the publisher who originally published the comic strip version of Buck Rogers, by Philip Francis Nowlan.

The screen writes to Buck Rogers, it seemed, were owned by Bruckheimer Films for a long time.  They’re finally back in the Dille Family Trust.  So, now Flint Dille plans to produce a new Buck Rogers movie.  Of course, naturally, he’s asked his buddy Frank Miller write and to direct.

Apparently, Flint Dille is even planning to keep much of the feel of the Buck Rogers in the 25th Century TV show, too.  The low budget special effects, he says, will be a running gag during the movie.  As a big fan of that series, that makes me happy.  I know there’s something to be said for the improvements special effects have made over the years.  In my opinion, though, there’s also something to be said for a little nostalgia, too.

As one of the first TV series that ever really talked about space travel, Buck Rogers was at least partly responsible for a major trend in sci-fi movies and series throughout the following years.  I know I’ve enjoyed watching everything from Stargate to Star Trek to Star Wars.  In short, I share an obsession with space operas with many people on Earth today.

So, you can bet that, when Buck Rogers comes out in 2011, I’ll be one of the first in like to see it.  Meanwhile, I can’t wait to see what Frank Miller does with The Spirit.  Maybe it’ll give me a little taste of the style of what’s to come.

By

Jessica Kosinski