Mandrake the Magician is heading to the big screen

Hayden Christensen (Jumper, "Star Wars" prequels) and Djimon Hounsou (Blood Diamond, Amistad) will star in Mandrake, the adaptation of Lee Falk's comic strip "Mandrake the Magician" according to ComingSoon.net

Mimi Leder (Deep Impact, The Peacemaker) will direct the film, written by Josh Oppenheimer and Thomas Dean Donnelly, JV Hart, and Ian Jeffers. The film is based on an original story by Kevin Bernhardt.

Jackson Mandrake lives life on the edge. Working as an underground magician and escapologist, his act has grown increasingly dangerous. Following a daring escape from an SUV that has been dropped out of an plane at the Burning Man Festival, he is coerced by the CIA into breaking a deep-cover agent named Xi Shing Lung out of a maximum security jail. Hypnosis, contortion, distraction and technical wizardry all come into play as Mandrake breaks the agent out from the inside within a 24-hour deadline.

But back on the outside, Mandrake learns that it was all a set-up. Xi is a CIA agent gone bad. He offers Mandrake the chance to join his crime ring. When Mandrake refuses, he's a marked man. He must escape his would-be-killers and also the real CIA who accuse him of being in league with Xi. His quest to clear his name leads him into all sorts of dangers, which he must overcome with daredevil escapes that require all his conjuring skills. And along the way, Mandrake is forced to confront his past and the girl he left behind...

I only really know Mandrake from the old Defenders of the Earth cartoon where he was joined by Flash Gordon, The Phantom, Lothar and others The above synopsis sounds nothing like the top hat and tails character from that and the comic. To be honest the film sounds like a mix of xXx, Shooter and Jumper. Chock full of cliche and not much else.

At the moment I'm not that excited. Hayden Christensen is a bit of a non-event for me, but Djimon Haunsou is usually pretty cool. I wonder if he will be playing Lothar? Interestingly IMDB shows Jonathan Rhys Meyers is to play Mandrake, but again that casting doesn't do anything for me. IMDB also says Criss Angel and Randy Couture are in the film. Make of that what you will.

Are you a fan of the original Mandrake? Do you like the sound of this take on him? Do you want Christensen or Meyer to play the part? If not them who would be the perfect Mandrake now that David Niven is no longer with us?


Discuss in the forum

HOME

Black Panther animated series - could it result in a live action movie?

Reggie Hudlin, who will writes the Black Panther comic book and now is helping guide the Black Panther animated series, is also a successful filmmaker, having directed House Party and Boomerang, and also episodes of Everybody Hates Chris and The Bernie Mac Show. On top of that, the voice cast for the Black Panther series boasts several film actors, including Djimon Hounsou as the Black Panther, along with Alfre Woodard as the Panther's mother and Kerry Washington as his sister.

Today, at New York Comic Con's panel for Black Panther, a fan asked Hudlin if he'd like the opportunity to direct a Black Panther movie, should such a project come to fruition. This caused Hudlin's fellow panelist John Romita Jr. to turn and ask Hudlin if he was casting the series with thoughts of a film in mind, noting that the actors all seemed like naturals to appear in a live-action version. Hudlin said that when it came to the character of Black Panther, "I'd like to be involved in it in every medium," but added, "I don't know if they'll ever be a movie that I'll be involved in," saying the decision was not in his hands.

Marvel Comics' Axel Alonso noted that it was thanks to the Spider-Man animated series and the live-action Hulk series that many non-comics readers came to know those characters, and said he could see how excited Hudlin was by the character, and that if a film came about, Hudlin has "put himself into the running for top consideration." He added that when it came to Hudlin's writing of the comic book, "Black Panther is where Black Panther is because of Reggie" and that he hopes the new TV series "is the oxygen for the explosion of the movie."

Marvel Animation's Eric Rollman brought up that before the highly successful 1990s X-Men series, those characters were "mostly unknown" outside of comic book readers, and that they saw the Black Panther series as an opportunity to introduce this character to a wider audience. Based on how successful the show is, Rollman said "Then we'll look at it very seriously for the next evolution" and that he thought there was a good chance "Reggie would be a part of that." Hudlin smiled and remarked, "We'll see."

Source: IGN

Discuss in the Forum

Push - Thai poster for superkids gone wild

Home / Forum / Guestbook

Push - New photo

A young man and teenage girl must save the world by battling artificially enhanced paranormal operatives who have the ability to kill without ever touching their victims. With Chris Evans, Dakota Fanning, Camilla Belle and Djimon Hounsou. Directed by Paul McGuigan.
Home / Forum / Guestbook

Push - new poster

Home / Forum / Guestbook

Push - Poster and synopsis for X-Men Lite film

A riveting action-thriller, Push burrows deep into the deadly world of psychic espionage where artificially enhanced paranormal operatives have the ability to move objects with their minds, see the future, create new realities and kill without ever touching their victims. Against this setting, a young man and a teenage girl take on a clandestine agency in a race against time that will determine the future of civilization. The Division, a shadowy government agency, is genetically transforming citizens into an army of psychic warriors—and brutally disposing of those unwilling to participate. Nick Gant (Chris Evans), a second-generation telekinetic or “mover,” has been in hiding since the Division murdered his father more than a decade earlier. He has found sanctuary in densely populated Hong Kong—the last safe place on earth for fugitive psychics like him—but only if he can keep his gift a secret.

Nick is forced out of hiding when Cassie Holmes (Dakota Fanning), a 13-year-old clairvoyant or “watcher,” seeks his help in finding Kira, (Camilla Belle), an escaped “pusher” who may hold the key to ending the Division’s program. Pushers possess the most dangerous of all psychic powers: the ability to influence others’ actions by implanting thoughts in their minds. But Cassie’s presence soon attracts the attention of the Division’s human bloodhounds, forcing Nick and Cassie to flee for their lives. With the help of a team of rogue psychics, the unlikely duo traverses the seedy underbelly of the city, trying to stay one step ahead of the authorities as they search for Kira. But they find themselves square in the crosshairs of Division Agent Henry Carver (Djimon Hounsou), a pusher who will stop at nothing to keep them from achieving their goal.

Home / Forum / Guestbook

Djimon Hounsou to be Black Panther in animated series

MTV have news on a Black Panther animated series which sounds pretty cool.

Djimon Hounsou, the award-winning actor who played prominent roles in “Blood Diamond” and “Gladiator,” will soon be lending his voice to one of Marvel’s most prominent heroes: Black Panther, T'Challa. Variety reports that Hounsou has agreed to provide the voice of T’Challa, king of the technologically-advanced African nation of Wakanda in the Marvel Universe, in the upcoming animated series produced by Marvel Animation and set to air in early 2009 on BET.

The animated series will be based on a 2005 story arc from the “Black Panther” comics, scripted by former BET Networks president Reginald Hudlin, featuring a reimagining of sorts of the character’s origin that placed him among the select few Marvel characters to stand toe-to-toe with Captain America.

Black Panther made his debut in a 1966 issue of "Fantastic Four,” and has fought villains as both a solo act and as a member of various superhero teams over the years — including a recent stint with his wife, Storm of the X-Men, substituting for Reed and Sue Richards on the Fantastic Four. Marvel recently announced that the “Black Panther” print series will be relaunching in February 2009 with a new, female hero donning the Black Panther costume.

According to Marvel Animation rep Eric Rollman, “‘The Black Panther’ is Marvel’s entrée into prime-time animation, and Djimon raises the bar for all involved as we bring the best in the animation business together to execute that vision.”

HOME / FORUM.

The Random

M. Night Shyamalan to produce instead of direct?

Michael Rymer, director on Battlestar Galactica, is due to direct the Witchblade movie.

The Sun are saying there could be a Top Gun 2. This time Tom would be the instructor to a young hot headed female pilot.

Djimon Hounsou (Blood Diamond) is saying he'll be playing Thulsa Doom the early years in a Conan spin off. Thulsa was the bloke James Earl Jones played in the Milius movie.

Japanese director, Ryuhei Kittamura, will be remaking his classic Zombie Kung-Fu movie, Versus, in America. The original was a piece of cinematic genius and he promises the remake will be bigger, better and gorier.

Discuss in the forum.