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George Lucas is the visionary mastermind behind the epic space opera saga Star Wars. The franchise was launched in 1977 with the commercial success of the original film. Despite its indispensable place in modern pop culture, the film faced some criticism when it was first released, primarily for its lack of sci-fi principles.

Star Wars creator George Lucas (Credit: Lucasfilm).

During an interview, Lucas addressed the criticisms surrounding the film, arguing that his vision was never to make a hardcore sci-fi film. Instead, Lucas shed light on his inspirations, which deviated from the core genre, proving that Star Wars was truly a unique cinematic experience. Here is what Lucas had to say about one common Star Wars criticism.

George Lucas admitted Star Wars wasn’t meant to make scientific sense

Filmmaker George Lucas directed 1977’s Star Wars, which emerged as a major commercial success and launched the epic space opera saga that is popular even today.

As fans wonder who the future of Star Wars will be handled by, it may be time to give respect to the original creator, George Lucas. The filmmaker wrote and directed the first film in 1977, triggering one of the most profitable and largest cinematic universes. The space opera began as a tribute to some of the serials he watched as a kid.

Originally intended for children, Lucas reportedly was a fan of fantastical sci-fi stories and did not want to get into the hard science aspect of it like Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. One of his biggest inspirations and his initial idea was reportedly to adapt the campy comic book series Flash Gordon.

George Lucas was initially inspired by the Flash Gordon comics to make Star Wars George Lucas | Credits: YouTube/Star Wars

While Star Wars is one of the most popular sci-fi franchises in the world,...

Director Matthew Vaughn ("Kick-Ass") is still interested in a romantic 'adult' update of the original ‘space opera’ "Flash Gordon", based on the 1930's newspaper comic strip hero by acclaimed illustrator Alex Raymond, that inspired the creation of "Star Wars" by George Lucas:

Vaughn ("Kingsman: The Secret Service") was approached by 20th Century, before their Disney acquisition...

...to kick-off a new film series, that would be more 'adult' oriented than family fare "Star Wars".

"Flash Gordon" debuted January 7, 1934, inspired by space adventurer "Buck Rogers".

'Flash Gordon', polo player and Yale University graduate…

…with his companions 'Dale Arden' and 'Dr. Hans Zarkov'…

…start their journey together …

…as Earth is bombarded by fiery meteors…

…and Zarkov invents a rocket ship to locate their place of origin in outer space.

Zarkov kidnaps Flash and Dale…

…and the three travel to the planet 'Mongo’…

…where they discover the meteors are weapons…...

Director and producer George Nolfi offers a surprising update for Taika Waititi's Flash Gordon reboot after three years of silence. First created by Alex Raymond in 1934 for comics, Mike Hodges brought the character to the big screen in 1980 with Flash Gordon, starring Sam Jones, Melody Anderson, Brian Blessed, Timothy Dalton, and Max Von Sydow. Waititi was brought on board to write and direct an animated reboot for 20th Century and Disney, though it was later reconceived as a live-action project in 2021.

As Nolfi discussed his new action-thriller Elevation with Collider, the director opened up about his involvement with Waititi's Flash Gordon reboot. Nolfi was originally on board as a producer, but he indicated he's drifted away from it in recent years. He said:

I'm not too involved with that one. There are a couple of things coming up that I can't talk about that I'm humbled to be involved...

For nearly the entire time that Collider has been around, weve been reporting on the Flash Gordon remake. Now, nearly two decades later, the movie has gone through several levels of production hell with no release date in sight. The most recent director stepping up to the plate to take a swing at the Alex Raymond-created comic-turned-Mike Hodges-film of 1980 was none other than Thor: Ragnarok and Jojo Rabbit director, Taika Waititi. His involvement came into focus back in 2019, first as an animated production, before moving into live-action in 2021. Since then, however, things surrounding the reimagining have been rather hush-hush, with fans wondering if Waititis Flash Gordon will ever crossover onto screens.

Flash Gordon #1 by Mad Cave is a fresh, action-packed update on the iconic space adventurer for his 90th anniversary. Writer Jeremy Adams and artist Will Conrad capture the rollicking spirit that made the original Flash Gordon stories iconic. Flash Gordon's new title offers excitement and adventure, updating the character for a new generation of readers.

Warning: spoilers ahead for Flash Gordon #1!

Mad Caves Flash Gordon is the fun, action-packed fresh start the ultimate space adventurer deserves. Flash Gordon is a pop culture icon, and on the occasion of his 90th anniversary, independent publisher Mad Cave has released a new title that updates the character for the times. Simultaneously, it captures the rollicking spirit that made the original Flash Gordon stories so iconic.

Flash Gordon #1 is written by Jeremy Adams and drawn by Will Conrad. Piggybacking off the events of the Flash Gordon Free Comic Book Day Special, Flash is being held prisoner.

Flash Gordon faces Ming's deadliest weapon, the Unraveler, capable of destroying planets like Earth. Mad Cave Studios revives Flash Gordon, introducing massive franchise plans and bringing classic strips back. Flash's battle with the Unraveler changes his universe forever, rivaling the Death Star in destructive power.

Warning: contains spoilers for Free Comic Book Day: Flash Gordon #0!

Flash Gordon has just made his epic return to comics, and has unveiled the franchises answer to the Death Star. Mad Cave Studios recently obtained the license to produce new Flash Gordon comics, and they kick off their run with a bang in Free Comic Book Day: Flash Gordon #0 by introducing Ming the Merciless newest weapon, one capable of destroying whole planetsand Earth is next.

Mad Cave Studios is planning a massive franchise around Flash Gordon, including bringing classic strips back into print.

Free Comic Book Day: Flash Gordon #0 is written by Jeremy Adams and drawn by Will Conrad.

Flash Gordon returns to comics this summer in a new series from Mad Cave Studios. The iconic space hero debuted in 1934 and has been a staple character within comics ever since. The new series will feature familiar characters, including Dale Arden.

Cult classic comic strip hero, Flash Gordon, is making his return to comics this year. A brand-new series is set to release from Mad Cave, placing the titular protagonist on a prison planet. His upcoming 2024 adventure will be the first in the franchise to be published by Mad Cave.

Flash Gordon was created by Alex Raymond in 1934. Over the course of his ninety-year history, the hero has starred in TV, film, and several comics - including his debut comic strip. Multiple publishers have provided readers with various comic series over the years.

Past publishers include Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Dynamite, Idw Publishing, Charlton Comics, and Dark Horse Comics, among others.

Science fiction icon Flash Gordon is set to return in a full line of new comics and graphic novels. One of the most popular comic strip characters in history, Flash Gordon has captured the imagination of readers worldwide, inspiring Star Wars and numerous other science fiction franchises. Now, King Features, Flash’s rights holders, has teamed up with Mad Cave Studios to bring readers a new line of Flash Gordon comics, including new stories and reprints.

Mad Cave Studios announced the acquisition on Twitter, declaring it is partnering with King Features to produce Flash Gordon comics and graphic novels, starting in 2024. Mad Cave revealed more information in a press release on its website, stating that in addition to brand-new adventures starring Flash Gordon and his associates, the publisher plans to reprint classic strips as well. Furthermore, Mad Cave’s middle grade readers imprint, Papercutz, will also publish Flash Gordon stories,...

The character of Flash Gordon has had a long and rich history in pop culture lasting almost 100 years. The first appearance of the space bound all-American hero was found in a science-fiction comic strip created in 1934 by illustrator Alex Raymond and writer Don Moore. Former Olympian and actor Buster Crabbe appeared as the character in the classic Universal serials that depicted Flash Gordon's clashes with Ming the Merciless on the planet Mongo. Fondly remembered for their air of wispy nostalgia, the "Flash Gordon" serials always ended on a cliffhanger. I remember one in particular where Flash is thrown down a dark hole with no chance of escape, only to be saved by the sudden deployment of a net in the first scene of the next episode. 

That is to say, "Flash Gordon" was always a little ridiculous.

The Buster Crabbe serials have certainly left their mark on film history, but...

On the JoBlo Movies YouTube channel, we will be posting one full movie every day of the week, giving viewers the chance to watch them entirely free of charge. The Free Movie of the Day we have for you today is the 2013 ghost hunting horror movie Asylum: The Lost Footage, and you can watch it over on the YouTube channel linked above, or you can just watch it in the embed at the top of this article.

Directed by Dan T. Hall, who also crafted the screenplay with Marcia Ellett and Moli Hall, Asylum: The Lost Footage has the following synopsis:

A group of amateur ghost hunters go missing as they journey into the bowels of an abandon Insane Asylum in a search for evidence of the ‘Lady in White’ said to haunt the grounds. The only evidence of their quest of no return are video cards discovered by workman...

"Thor: Love and Thunder” director Taika Waititi plans to write and direct a CG-animated, theatrical feature, adapting Alex Raymond's 1930's sci-fi newspaper comic strip "Flash Gordon":

"Flash Gordon" debuted January 7, 1934, inspired by newspaper comic strip "Buck Rogers".

'Flash Gordon', a polo player and Yale University graduate and his companions 'Dale Arden' and 'Dr. Hans Zarkov'...

...start their journey together as Earth is bombarded by fiery meteors.

Zarkov invents a rocket ship to locate their place of origin in outer space.

Half mad, Zarkov kidnaps Flash and Dale and the three travel to the planet 'Mongo'...

...where they discover the meteors are weapons...

...devised by 'Ming the Merciless'...

...that planet's evil ruler.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Flash Gordon"...

"Thor: Love and Thunder” director Taika Waititi will write and direct a CG-animated, theatrical feature, adapting Alex Raymond's 1930's sci-fi newspaper comic strip "Flash Gordon":

"Flash Gordon" debuted January 7, 1934, inspired by newspaper comic strip "Buck Rogers".

'Flash Gordon', a polo player and Yale University graduate and his companions 'Dale Arden' and 'Dr. Hans Zarkov'...

...start their journey together as Earth is bombarded by fiery meteors.

Zarkov invents a rocket ship to locate their place of origin in outer space.

Half mad, Zarkov kidnaps Flash and Dale and the three travel to the planet 'Mongo'...

...where they discover the meteors are weapons...

...devised by 'Ming the Merciless'...

...that planet's evil ruler.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Flash Gordon"...

Director Matthew Vaughn ("Kick-Ass") continues developing a sex/violence update of "Flash Gordon", based on the 1930's newspaper comic strip space hero by Alex Raymond, that inspired the creation of "Star Wars" by George Lucas:

Vaughn ("Kingsman: The Secret Service") was approached by Fox, before their Disney acquisition, to kick-off the new sci-fi series.

According to actor Sam Jones, who played 'Flash Gordon' in a 1980 feature, "Matthew Reilly, VP of production at Fox Studios, acquired the screenplay rights to 'Flash Gordon' last year, and he hired John Davis and his staff to write the script. They’re looking to bring out a sequel...

"I met with Matt and we are in talks about that. I’m very excited. A lot of people over the years, including Stephen Sommers and Neil H Moritz, have acquired the screenplay rights, but for whatever reason they did not do...

There are good movies, there are bad movies, and then there are good bad movies. Flash Gordon, which debuted Dec. 5, 1980, falls squarely in the third camp — with an emphasis on “camp.”

George Lucas originally hoped to remake the 1930s Flash Gordon movie serials, based on the Alex Raymond comic strip. But Italian producer Dino De Laurentiis had held the rights to Flash since the 1960s and refused to relinquish them, leading Lucas to instead create the massively successful Star Wars. By 1979, the world had space-opera fever, and De Laurentiis put Flash into motion.

He first offered directing duties to ...

There are good movies, there are bad movies, and then there are good bad movies. Flash Gordon, which debuted Dec. 5, 1980, falls squarely in the third camp — with an emphasis on “camp.”

George Lucas originally hoped to remake the 1930s Flash Gordon movie serials, based on the Alex Raymond comic strip. But Italian producer Dino De Laurentiis had held the rights to Flash since the 1960s and refused to relinquish them, leading Lucas to instead create the massively successful Star Wars. By 1979, the world had space-opera fever, and De Laurentiis put Flash into motion.

He first offered directing duties to ...

According to reports, a popular 'genre' director is still interested in developing a fresh update of "Flash Gordon", based on the 1934 newspaper comic strip hero by Alex Raymond, that inspired the creation of "Star Wars" by George Lucas.

Director Matthew Vaughn ("Kingsman: The Secret Service") has been approached by Fox to kick-off the new film series.

"Flash Gordon" debuted January 7, 1934, inspired by the 1932 CBS Radio, space adventures of "Buck Rogers".

"...'Flash Gordon', a polo player and Yale University graduate, with his companion 'Dale Arden' and 'Dr. Hans Zarkov' start their journey into space as Earth is bombarded by fiery meteors, with Zarkov inventing a rocket ship to locate their place of origin.

"Half mad, Zarkov kidnaps Flash and Dale and the three travel to the planet 'Mongo', where they discover the meteors are weapons devised by 'Ming the Merciless', the planet's evil ruler.

Click the images to enlarge...

Arrow jumps into the 4K Ultra HD bracket with a knockout 40th anniversary presentation of this campy, music-filled and incredibly colorful Dino De Laurentiis spectacle. The impressive package has an endless catalog of extras, plus a second Blu-ray disc with a full-length feature about the film’s one-hit-wonder star Sam J. Jones. Buyers beware — no backup Blu-ray disc of the feature is included. In every other respect, “Go! Flash! Go!”

Flash Gordon

4K Ultra HD with Hdr

Arrow Video

1980 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 112 min. / Street Date August 18, 2020 / 40.26 (Amazon)

Starring: Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, Max von Sydow, Topol, Ornella Muti, Timothy Dalton, Brian Blessed, Peter Wyngarde, Mariangela Melato, Deep Roy.

Cinematography: Gilbert Taylor

Production Designer: Danilo Donati

Film Editor: Malcolm Cooke

Original Music: Howard Blake

Written by Michael Allin & Lorenzo Semple Jr. from characters by Alex Raymond

Produced by Dino De Laurentiis

Directed by Mike Hodges

First things first: a lot...

Flash Gordon still stands alone in the pantheon of comic book movies 40 years on. Colorful, vibrant, kinky, and often absurd, Mike Hodges’ gaudy tale of an all-American boy defeating a powerful villain from space and saving the Earth in the process had until recently felt far removed from the predominantly safe and CG-heavy comic book fare of the last few decades, despite its familiar themes and due in large part to its distinct refusal to take itself seriously. But the film we know and love is a world away from how it began.

Back in the 1970s, wealthy businessman and film producer Dino De Laurentiis held on to the Flash Gordon rights after George Lucas’ attempts to extricate them. A much-less-minted Lucas was forced to make his own space adventure movie instead, a little project called Star Wars. Its success indisputable, De Laurentiis was more determined than ever to make...

The campy sci-fi classic Flash Gordon is finally getting the proper home video release it deserves. Based on the comic strip of the same name by Alex Raymond, the movie directed by Mike Hodges, starring Sam J. Jones, and featuring an epic soundtrack from the rock band Queen was a bit of a box office flop […]

The post ‘Flash Gordon’ Getting a 4K Restored Blu-ray Collector’s Edition This Summer appeared first on /Film.

Gordon's alive?? That's right, and in order to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Flash Gordon, the film has been scanned from the original 35mm negative to produce a 4K restoration which will be released in a jam-packed box-set later this year. Based upon the classic comic-strip by Alex Raymond, the film follows Dr. Hans Zarkov (Topol) as he takes football star Flash Gordon…...

StudioCanal are venturing deep into the vaults to bring the 1980’s cult classic ‘Flash Gordon’ back to life with a 4K Ultra High Definition restoration to mark the film’s 40th anniversary.

Mike Hodge’s cult classic, based on the comic strip of the same name created by Alex Raymond and adapted for the screen by Michael Allin (Enter The Dragon) and Lorenzo Semple Jr (King Kong), was fuelled by an iconic soundtrack by the rock group, Queen and followed A football player, Flash Gordon, and his friends who travel to the planet Mongo and find themselves fighting the tyranny of Ming the Merciless to save Earth.

Directed by Mike Hodges and produced by Dino De Laurentiis, the original film was shot in Technicolor and Todd-ao-35. It stars Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, Topol, Max von Sydow, Timothy Dalton, Brian Blessed and Ornella Muti.

Also in news – Emily Blunt and...

Comic book movies may be the new pop culture juggernauts minting money at the box office, but there are still those enthusiasts who appreciate the value of the comics that gave birth to those movies. Recently, the first ever comic strip featuring space-faring adventurer Flash Gordon sold for $480,000, a record for comic strip art.

The pencil-and-ink art by Alex Raymond, published in the 1930s, signaled the arrival of a cultural icon that would go on to influence everything from comics to science fiction movies. In the comic strips that started the franchise, Flash Gordon was an ordinary man from Earth, who was kidnapped and sent to the planet Mongo. There Flash encounters the evil ruler Ming the Merciless and embarks on a series of action-packed adventures to free Mongo from Ming's influence.

The adventures of Flash Gordon were a heady mix of action and interplanetary intrigue. Gordon himself was something...

The comic strip featuring the very first appearance of Flash Gordon, the 1930s sci-fi hero that launched movie and radio serials and even influenced the creation of Star Wars, sold for almost half a million dollars at an auction Tuesday.

The pencil-and-ink art by Alex Raymond, the creator of the strip, sold for a muscular $480,000, a record for comic strip art. Certainly adding to the appeal of the art was its historical significance.

Flash Gordon was created by Raymond as his newspaper syndicate’s answer to Buck Rogers and came during a period that saw the creation of enduring pop culture ...

The comic strip featuring the very first appearance of Flash Gordon, the 1930s sci-fi hero that launched movie and radio serials and even influenced the creation of Star Wars, sold for almost half a million dollars at an auction Tuesday.

The pencil-and-ink art by Alex Raymond, the creator of the strip, sold for a muscular $480,000, a record for comic strip art. Certainly adding to the appeal of the art was its historical significance.

Flash Gordon was created by Raymond as his newspaper syndicate’s answer to Buck Rogers and came during a period that saw the creation of enduring pop culture ...

The extent to which the novel coronavirus pandemic has hit the popular arts auction houses will be tested next week when a key piece of comic strip history goes on sale.

Profiles in History is putting up for sale the original art for the very first appearance of Flash Gordon, the 1930s science fiction hero that launched movie and radio serials and even influenced the creation of Star Wars.

The pencil and ink art by Alex Raymond, the creator of the strip, is expected to sell in the range of $400,000 to $600,000 but its historical significance could ...

The extent to which the novel coronavirus pandemic has hit the popular arts auction houses will be tested next week when a key piece of comic strip history goes on sale.

Profiles in History is putting up for sale the original art for the very first appearance of Flash Gordon, the 1930s science fiction hero that launched movie and radio serials and even influenced the creation of Star Wars.

The pencil and ink art by Alex Raymond, the creator of the strip, is expected to sell in the range of $400,000 to $600,000 but its historical significance could ...

Director Matthew Vaughn ("Kick-Ass") is still interested in an 'adult' update of "Flash Gordon", based on the 1930's newspaper comic strip hero by Alex Raymond, that inspired the creation of "Star Wars" by George Lucas:

Vaughn ("Kingsman: The Secret Service") was approached by 20th Century, before their Disney acquisition...

...to kick-off a new film series, that would be more 'adult' oriented than family fare "Star Wars".

"Flash Gordon" debuted January 7, 1934, inspired by space adventurer "Buck Rogers".

'Flash Gordon', polo player and Yale University graduate, with his companions 'Dale Arden' and 'Dr. Hans Zarkov' start their journey together as Earth is bombarded by fiery meteors and Zarkov invents a rocket ship to locate their place of origin in outer space.

Zarkov kidnaps Flash and Dale and the three travel to the planet 'Mongo', where they discover the meteors are weapons devised by 'Ming the Merciless', that planet's evil ruler.

“He saves with a mighty hand. Every man, every child, every woman. He’s a mighty Flash.”

So declares Queen’s theme song to the 1980 Flash Gordon movie, but does Alex Raymond’s famed comic strip adventurer have the heroics necessary to keep the ever-bumbling Archie Andrews safe? Comic readers will find out this summer when the Archie Meets Flash Gordon one-shot hits stores.

This is the latest crossover for Archie Comics, following on the heels of the excellent Archie Meets the B-52’s. This time around though, the Riverdale gang will be trading in Planet Claire for Mongo. The 48-page comic will retail for $3.99, and is scheduled to hit stores on June 3rd. Here’s the official synopsis:

“A strange phenomenon occurs, leading to an alien crash-landing in Riverdale. Fortunately, someone arrives on the scene to save the day: Flash Gordon! A conqueror from another world wants to colonize...

The man who can do no wrong. Taika Waititi, has been commissioned to figure out a way to bring together an animated ‘Flash Gordon’ for Disney’s newly acquired 20th Century Fox.

The long in development property seems to have taken a new route as an animation under Disney’s ownership but at the moment, in what capacity Waititi could be taking this project forward is yet to be determined.

‘Flash Gordon’ is the hero of a space opera adventure comic strip created by and originally drawn by Alex Raymond. The strip was first published in 1934, it was inspired by and created to compete with, the already established ‘Buck Rogers’ adventure strip.

Also in news – ‘Kingsman’ Prequel obtains a title and plot details

The comic strip has since been adapted for TV and movies as well as an animated series. Originally failing at the box office, the 1980 film version has...

"Thor: Ragnarok" director Taika Waititi will write and direct a CG-animated, theatrical feature, adapting Alex Raymond's 1930's sci-fi newspaper comic strip "Flash Gordon":

"Flash Gordon" debuted January 7, 1934, inspired by newspaper comic strip "Buck Rogers".

'Flash Gordon', a polo player and Yale University graduate and his companions 'Dale Arden' and 'Dr. Hans Zarkov'...

...start their journey together as Earth is bombarded by fiery meteors. 

Zarkov invents a rocket ship to locate their place of origin in outer space.

Half mad, Zarkov kidnaps Flash and Dale and the three travel to the planet 'Mongo'...

...where they discover the meteors are weapons...

...devised by 'Ming the Merciless'...

...that planet's evil ruler.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Flash Gordon"...

"Flash Gordon" Comic Books...

Taika Waititi is working with Disney to bring an animated Flash Gordon movie to the big screen. Details are scarce at the moment, but it is believed Waititi is on board to write and direct the project. Fox was reportedly trying to develop a live-action take for years, but it looks like it is finally moving forward as an animated feature now that it is in Disney's hands. Waititi is now in the post-production phase for his upcoming comedy Jojo Rabbit, which is due to hit theaters later this year.

Kingsman's Matthew Vaughn and Overlord director Julius Avery have been attached to various Flash Gordon projects over the years, but nothing obviously ever came of those iterations. Taika Waititi should be able to do something pretty interesting with the property, especially in the animated realm. The character has been in pop culture a lot recently, thanks to Seth MacFarlane's...

“Thor: Ragnarok” director Taika Waititi has signed onto “Flash Gordon,” as an animated feature film project from Disney-Fox. It is not known yet whether he will write, direct, or both. Deadline first broke the news.

Waititi is currently in post-production on his sure-to-be-controversial Adolf Hitler satire “Jojo Rabbit,” adapted from the novel by Christine Leunens. The story follows a Hitler youth who discovers his mother is hiding a Jewish girl in their attic, prompting him to address his nationalistic ideals through his friendship with an imaginary Hitler, played by Waititi. Starring Thomasin McKenzie, Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell and Rebel Wilson, the Fox Searchlight dark comedy hits theaters on October 18.

Last fall, Deadline reported that Fox had hired “Overlord” director Julius Avery to write and direct a “Flash Gordon” movie, after having previously negotiated in 2015 with “Kingsman” director Matthew Vaughn. That was before the Disney-Fox merger, however, and the project now...

Taika Waititi is going back to space, as Deadline has just announced that the Thor: Ragnarok director is attached to Disney/Fox’s Flash Gordon animated feature film. Initial reports are that he’s set to write and helm, with his talents being a perfect fit for the project after the colorful retro-futurism he brought to Ragnarok helped make it such a hit.

This version of Flash Gordon has been in development for some time, with Kingsman‘s Matthew Vaughn and Overlord‘s Julius Avery attached to the project at various points. Now, however, Waititi is on board and from what we understand, it’ll be an origin story for the character, meaning it’ll most likely take more inspiration from Alex Raymond’s classic 1930s comics than the (awesome) 1980 movie adaptation.

The comics begin with an arc in which Earth is threatened with collision by the planet Mongo, leading scientist Dr.

I’ve got some super exciting Flash Gordon movie news to share with you! Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi is said to be taking “a crack” at a Flash Gordon animated film!

Deadline says that Waititi is signing on to write and direct the film, but at this point his reps are saying that “it’s too early to gauge exactly what his role would be.” But, this is a project that he is helping develop and I would love it if he actually came on board to write and direct it!

I’ve always thought that Flash Gordon would make for an awesome sci-fi fantasy animated film, so the fact that this is the direction that Fox/Disney is looking to take the project is exciting! The film has been in development for years and Kingsman director Matthew Vaughn and Overlord director Julius Avery have been the most recent...

Exclusive: Fox/Disney has attached Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi to “crack” Flash Gordon, as an animated feature film.

I had heard that the inventive filmmaker Waititi was signing on to write and direct, but his camp indicates it’s too early to gauge exactly what his role would be. The director is in post on Jojo Rabbit, his scripted adaptation of the Christine Leunens novel, a satire in which a young boy in Hitler’s army discovers that his mother is hiding a Jewish girl from the Nazis. Despite the ruthless nationalism in the air, the youth is torn and one of this voices guiding him is his idiot imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler — Waititi plays him.

Waititi recently extricated himself from another animated film, Bubbles, the Netflix stop motion project. Even though the film went in a $20 million package after ferocious bidding during the 2017 Cannes market for a Black List script by Isaac Adamson,...

Director Matthew Vaughn ("Kick-Ass") is attached to develop a sex/violence update of "Flash Gordon", based on the 1930's newspaper comic strip hero by Alex Raymond, that inspired the creation of "Star Wars" by George Lucas:

Vaughn ("Kingsman: The Secret Service") was approached by Fox, before their Disney acquisition, to kick-off the new sci-fi series.

According to actor Sam Jones, who played 'Flash Gordon' in a 1980 feature, "Matthew Reilly, VP of production at Fox Studios, acquired the screenplay rights to 'Flash Gordon' last year, and he hired John Davis and his staff to write the script. They’re looking to bring out a sequel...

"I met with Matt and we are in talks about that. I’m very excited. A lot of people over the years, including Stephen Sommers and Neil H Moritz, have acquired the screenplay rights, but for whatever reason they did not...

A 'genre' writer/director has signed to take on a potential feature film franchise showcasing outer space hero "Flash Gordon", based on the 1930's comic strip character by Alex Raymond, inspiring the creation of George Lucas' "Star Wars":

Julius Avery ("Overlord") has been signed by Fox to kick-off a new "Flash Gordon" film, to be produced by  Matthew Vaughn ("Kick-Ass") and John Davis.

"Flash Gordon" debuted January 7, 1934, as a polo player and Yale graduate, who together with 'Dale Arden' and rocket ship inventor 'Dr. Hans Zarkov'...

...are rendered helpless as the Earth is bombarded by fiery meteors. 

Zarkov kidnaps Flash and Dale, as the three rocket to the planet 'Mongo', where they discover the meteors are weapons devised by 'Ming the Merciless', Mongo's evil ruler.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Flash Gordon"...

‘Overlord’ director Julius Avery has been announced to take the helm of 20th Century Fox’s rebooted ‘Flash Gordon’.

Avery will also pen the script for the cult hero story. Avery is said to have fallen in love with the comic and decided to pitch the studio his own version of the story. Fox jumped at the chance to bring the age-old story back to life, giving Avery the reigns to take it forward.

‘Flash Gordon’ is the hero of a space opera adventure comic strip created by and originally drawn by Alex Raymond. The strip was first published in 1934, it was inspired by and created to compete with, the already established ‘Buck Rogers’ adventure strip.

Also in the news – Dev Patel to make his directorial debut with thriller ‘Monkey Man’

The comic strip has since been adapted for TV and movies as well as an animated series. Originally failing at the box office,...

Alex Raymond created Flash Gordon in a comic strip first published in January 1934 and the character soon leaped to the big screen. He appeared in a live-action television series in the 1950s and then debuted on the small screen in animated form in the late 1970s, leading to his return in a starring role in 1980's Flash Gordon. Sam J. Jones starred in the beloved adventure, featuring a memorable soundtrack by Queen. With Queen getting their place in the sun this week, courtesy of the musical biopic Bohemian Rhapsody, it only seems fitting that Flash Gordon is being resurrected as well. Read onward to learn all we know about the new project. Who will write and direct? Julius Avery, per Deadline. He directed the wartime terror thriller Overlord, which is poised for wide...

Fox has hired “Overlord” director Julius Avery to write and direct a “Flash Gordon” movie.

The studio had been in negotiations in 2015 with “Kingsman” director Matthew Vaughn to helm “Flash Gordon.” Vaughn will now produce with John Davis and Hearst Entertainment & Syndication Group.

Fox senior vice president Matt Reilly is overseeing “Flash Gordon” for the studio. C.J. Kettler is overseeing for Hearst.

Flash Gordon originated in 1934 as a science-fiction comic strip created by and originally drawn by Alex Raymond to compete with the Buck Rogers strip. The story opened with Earth threatened by a collision with the planet Mongo and Flash’s friend Dr. Zarkov inventing a rocket ship in an attempt to stop the disaster. The comic strip led to a serial starring Buster Crabbe and multiple movies and television series.

Avery is an Australian director who made his debut on A24’s “Son of a Gun,” which led...

Alex Raymond created Flash Gordon in a comic strip first published in January 1934 and the character soon leaped to the big screen. He appeared in a live-action television series in the 1950s and then debuted on the small screen in animated form in the late 1970s, leading to his return in a starring role in 1980's Flash Gordon. Sam J. Jones starred in the beloved adventure, featuring a memorable soundtrack by Queen. With Queen getting their place in the sun this week, courtesy of the...

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Mike Cecchini Oct 31, 2018

Gordon's alive! The quest to get a new Flash Gordon movie off the ground and all the way to Mongo continues.

The Flash Gordon remake has had a troubled life cycle so far. Aside from the fact that we were criminally robbed of a sequel to Mike Hodges' brilliant 1980 Flash Gordon movie that starred Sam J. Jones, Melody Anderson, freakin' Max von Sydow, Topol, and the sickest Queen soundtrack ever for cryin' out loud. Seriously, how do you not make a sequel to that movie? 

ahem. Anyway...

Julius Avery (of the upcoming good guys vs. Nazis/zombies flick Overlord which opens on Nov. 9) is in line to write and direct a Flash Gordon remake (via THR). Avery replaces Matthew Vaughn, who had been attached to it since 2015. Vaughn will now produce, alongside John Davis. Avery's script replaces one by Mark Protosevich, which in turn replaced one...

20th Century Fox is moving forward with their Flash Gordon movie and they hired Overlord director Julius Avery to helm it! Obviously the studio likes what he did with Overlord, which has yet to be released in theaters, but it looks bat-shit crazy!

At one point Kingsman director Matthew Vaughn was looking to direct the Flash Gordon movie, but it looks like he’s just going to produce it now. With all of the Kingsman films that he’s got in development, I guess he just doesn’t have the time.

Flash Gordon was created in 1934 by iconic artist Alex Raymond, and the story follows Dale Arden and the mad scientist Hans Zasrkov, as they end up on the planet Mongo fighting a tyrannical ruler named Ming the Merciless.

I'm a huge fan of Flash Gordon, and I'm pretty excited about what how this new film turns out, especially with...

Flash Gordon is flying again.

Julius Avery, the filmmaker behind Paramount and Bad Robot's upcoming World War II zombie project Overlord, is in talks to write and direct a Flash Gordon movie for Fox, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. 

Artist Alex Raymond introduced Flash Gordon in 1934 as a hero who ends up on the planet Mongo fighting the tyrant ruler Ming the Merciless. The comic book strip also featured characters such as Dale Arden and mad scientist Hans Zasrkov, and went on to spawn serials starring Buster Crabbe and a 1980 movie featuring a Queen soundtrack. It also influenced George ...

Flash Gordon is flying again.

Julius Avery, the filmmaker behind Paramount and Bad Robot's upcoming World War II zombie project Overlord, is in talks to write and direct a Flash Gordon movie for Fox, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. 

Artist Alex Raymond introduced Flash Gordon in 1934 as a hero who ends up on the planet Mongo fighting the tyrant ruler Ming the Merciless. The comic book strip also featured characters such as Dale Arden and mad scientist Hans Zasrkov, and went on to spawn serials starring Buster Crabbe and a 1980 movie featuring a Queen soundtrack. It also influenced George ...

Back in the spring of 2015, 20th Century Fox moved forward with its long-awaited Flash Gordon remake, setting director Matthew Vaughn at the helm, but we haven't heard anything about it since then. It turns out there's a very good reason for that, with Matthew Vaughn revealing in a new interview that he's still been working on it, but his original vision for the story was basically taken by Marvel's 2014 blockbuster Guardians of the Galaxy. Here's what the director had to say below, when asked if he's still working on a Flash Gordon movie.

"Yeah, we've been working on it. For me, the only problem with Flash Gordon is Guardians (of the Galaxy) kind of stole what I would have liked to have done with it. You've got Star Wars, you've got Guardians, so you've got to have your own space opera, but you have to find something that can survive among these two very,...

With Kingsman: The Golden Circle in theaters, director Matthew Vaughn can turn his attention to other projects on his plate — including the reboot of cult newspaper strip Flash Gordon that he was in talks to direct back in 2015.

Little has been heard about the 20th Century Fox feature recently, and Vaughn — who's reportedly shown up on shortlists for Warner's The Flash and Man of Steel 2 in the last few months — has suggested that one reason might be the difficulty in making Alex Raymond's comic strip stand out in today's crowded genre field.

"For...

Next Monday marks the 100th anniversary of Jack Kirby’s birth. For one horrible moment, let us consider the following question: what if that birth never happened?

No Captain America. No Fourth World. Probably no romance comics. No Challengers of the Unknown. No Kamandi. No “Marvel Age of Comics.”

Think about that last one for a moment. The Fantastic Four, The X-Men, The Hulk, Nick Fury, Thor, Silver Surfer, Black Panther… most likely, they would not have existed; certainly not as the astonishing successes they were.

I will avoid suggesting the American comic book medium would have disappeared decades ago if not for Jack Kirby, although a case could be made for that argument. If Marvel Comics didn’t happen the way it happened, it’s possible that direct sales to comic book stores would not have happened, and that little phenomenon certainly has kept this racket alive.

Nobody put more power,...

Ryan Lambie Jul 7, 2017

To tie in with the Into The Unknown exhibition, on now at London's Barbican, we look at how sci-fi has become a major cultural force...

It's not always easy being geeky. The celebrated genre writer Ray Bradbury knew this all too well; as a kid growing up in the 1920s and 30s, he was intoxicated by all things otherworldly and imaginative: classic horror movies, pulp sci-fi stories about Mars, comic strips detailing the exploits of Buck Rogers. Eventually, Bradbury's peers teased him mercilessly, until, in a bid to fit in, he ripped his Buck Rogers comics to shreds. But far from helping the young Bradbury draw a line under his obsessions, the destruction of his beloved comics left him feeling unhappy and soulless.

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