Paul WS Anderson Directing Buck Rogers 3D

Remember when Frank Miller was set to direct a new Buck Rogers film? Then remember when The Spirit arrived, was a shambling mess, and tanked, after which news on the Frank Miller / Buck Rogers front went quiet really fast?

Well, a Buck Rogers revival is still in the cards, and I'll let you make the call about whether the new director is more or less likely to do it justice than Miller. Paul WS Anderson (Resident Evil, Death Race) has signed to direct the film.

Deadline reports the deal, saying that Anderson's film will be a 3D relaunch of the classic 25th century character. The site summarizes the story as that of "a fighter pilot who quickly acclimates to the future and puts his skills to use defending the planet against invaders."Art Marcum and Matt Holloway will write the script for Paradox, the company that holds the rights to the character and is also behind the new Conan. No studio has signed yet, though once a script is drafted and talent starts to filter in, a sale isn't likely to be far behind. Whatever you think of Anderson, his movies are usually on budget, manage to make money, and generate franchies, so a studio sale is all but assured.

Buck Rogers was created in 1928 by Philip Nowlan. The basic premise is as follows: Rogers, a pilot/astronaut, falls into a coma, only to awaken in the twenty-fifth century. Best known from the long-running syndicated newspaper comic strip, Rogers also appeared in a 12-part 1939 movie serial, a 1979 television series, and in many other incarnations. The development of space technology in the twentieth century launched Buck Rogers into American pop culture.