Man, at this rate we’re going to see big studios developing action adventure based on the lives of Benjamin Franklin, Charlemagne and Mussolini. The success of “Sherlock Holmes” has already seen forward movement on two new versions of “The Three Musketeers,” as well as a fresh take on “Treasure Island.” The latest period figure to get a fresh lick of paint looks set to be Marco Polo, as writers Adam Cooper and Bill Collage have sold a pitch to Warner Bros that reimagines the 13th century explorer in a ‘fantasy-adventure’ setting.
Polo, for those familiar with the name only as a blindfolded swimming pool game, was a merchant who documented his travels through Asia in the book “Il Milione,” but the new script is seen, according to writer Cooper, as “something that takes place in the Orient of our imagination amid the cultural clash of the East and the West.” The writers are also behind the action-hero reboot of Moses, and an action-hero reboot of “Moby Dick” for director Timur Bekmambetov, so they’re clearly carving out a nice little niche for themselves.
Director Francis Lawrence (“Constantine,” “I Am Legend”) is attached to direct, but he’s got R-Patz/Reese Witherspoon/Christoph Waltz circus drama “Water for Elephants” gearing up to shoot, and is also set for the comic adaptation “Sgt. Rock.” We can’t really summon up the energy to get angry about these projects, just as we most likely won’t summon up the energy to go see them. But then again, the excruciating prospect of a Guy Ritchie “Sherlock Holmes” movie turned out pretty well, so maybe this could be a pleasant surprise.
