More Film News

JONNY QUEST'S NEXT ADVENTURE IN LIVE-ACTION.
Warner Bros. Pictures is set to bring Hanna-Barbera's action cartoon JONNY
QUEST to the silver screen as a live-action production, report the trades.
Dan Mazeau, who sold the spec script LAND OF LOST THINGS to Nickelodeon,
has been tapped to pen a screenplay. Adrian Askarieh and Daniel Alter will
produce.

The original animated series aired in primetime on ABC beginning in 1964.
The show follows Jonny Quest on globetrotting adventures with his scientist
father, Dr. Benton C. Quest, adopted Indian brother Hadji, pet bulldog
Bandit and "Race" Bannon, a government agent assigned to protect the
Quest's during their studies. The franchise spawned several revamped series
as well as comicbook titles.

Dan Lin and Matt Reilly are shepherding for Warners.

This isn't the first time a live-action QUEST project has been in the
works. In 1994, Richard Donner and Lauren Shuler Donner worked with Tribeca
Prods. to adapt the series to the screen, but the project never took off.

VOLTRON TRANSFORMS INTO FEATURE AT FOX.
Riding the popularity of the box office's favorite giant robots in
TRANSFORMERS, 20th Century Fox-based New Regency is in final talks with the
Mark Gordon Co. to bring VOLTRON: DEFENDER OF THE UNIVERSE to the big
screen as a live-action film, VARIETY reports. Gordon has been developing
the project and previously hired Justin Marks (HE-MAN) to pen the script.

Based on the '80s anime/manga/toy franchise, the feature will take place in
New York City and Mexico after an alien invasion has decimated Earth, and
will follow five survivors, who take possession of five lion-like robots,
which when combined form the giant robot Voltron.

Gordon will produce alongside Lawrence Inglee and Jordan Wynn. Mark Costa
and Ford Oelman are exec producing.

The project, which was been in development for three years, has been funded
thus far by Jim Young's Animus Films.

STARDUST DIRECTOR TAKES ON THOR.
Marvel Studios has tapped STARDUST helmer Matthew Vaughn to direct the
screen adaptation of THOR, reports VARIETY. Marvel hopes to beat out
loaming strikes by starting production this winter. I AM LEGEND scribe Mark
Protosevich penned the screenplay.

First hitting comicbooks in 1962, Thor is a god whose arrogance leads his
father Odin to transport his son into the body of disabled medical student
Donald Blake, who, until discovering his thunder hammer, does not realize
he is a god.

This isn't Vaughn's first go-around in the world of superheroes. He was
originally hired to direct X-MEN 3, but stepped down for personal reasons.

PATHE & BBC OPEN NEW LIVE-ACTION JUNGLE BOOK.
Pathe and the BBC have teamed on a new live-action adaptation of Rudyard
Kipling's classic THE JUNGLE BOOK, reports VARIETY. BBC documentary
filmmaker John Downer (PRIDE) will helm the $50 million production, which
will be based on a screenplay by Richard Kurti and Bev Doyle. 102
DALMATIANS producer Michelle Fox will produce for Downer's shingle.

Pre-production on the massive project will begin in September. Real-world
animal footage will be shot at India's Ranthambore Tiger Reserve and will
be interspersed with trained-animal footage shot on both jungle and
bluescreen sets. As in his Emmy-nominated PRIDE, Downer will use CG to make
the animals appear to talk. It is estimated that it will take two years to
complete.

Pathe is the worldwide rights holder for the production and will distribute
the film in the U.K. and France.