Five years after securing screen rights to the iconic sci-fi character Buck Rogers, Legendary has made progress on the development of a feature adaptation, bringing Deadpool & Wolverine co-writer Zeb Wells aboard to pen the script.
Plot details for Wells’ take are under wraps. News of Legendary’s deal for Buck Rogers rights first emerged in 2020, with the studio reportedly eyeing a transmedia franchise that would include a feature film, live-action series and anime series. There’s no word yet on whether plans for the character on the television front remain active.
Created by Philip Francis Nowlan, Buck Rogers first appeared in Armageddon – 2419 A.D., a novella published in the pulp magazine Amazing Stories in 1929. The protagonist was introduced as a World War I veteran who ends up in suspended animation for roughly five centuries after being trapped in a collapsed Pennsylvania coal mine and inhaling radioactive gas. When he awakens in the 25th century, Rogers finds himself drawn into a struggle against foreign invaders.
Following his debut in Amazing Stories, Buck Rogers made his way to newspapers via the comic strip Buck Rogers in the 25th Century A.D. The franchise subsequently expanded with serials for radio and film — including Universal’s 1939 serial starring Buster Crabbe — as well as NBC’s Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, multiple comic and novel adaptations and a lucrative merchandising run.
An Emmy- and Annie Award-winning writer, Wells is the creator and executive producer of Marvel Zombies, Disney+’s top-performing animated series that debuted September 24. Previously, he wrote on Deadpool & Wolverine, the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time, and has penned numerous acclaimed comics for Marvel, including The Amazing Spider-Man and the one-shot crossover Deadpool/Batman.
Coming off major success with A Minecraft Movie — one of the year’s highest-grossing films with more than $957 million worldwide — Legendary’s slate for next year includes the live-action/animated hybrid Animal Friends, Alejandro González Iñárritu’s new film starring Tom Cruise, Kitao Sakurai’s Street Fighter and Dune: Part Three.
Wells is repped by Verve and attorney Lev Ginsburg.
.png)
Follow Us