Disney is bringing backThe League of Extraordinary Gentlemenin an attempt to reboot the stories based on the Alan Moore comics. When the reboot does eventually air, it will be as a feature film that is aiming to debut onHulu.
Sean Connery fans might remember that an earlier attempt to makeThe League of Extraordinary Gentlemenwas a critical and theatrical failure. However, that doesn’t mean that the source material can’t still be mined and given another go. There’s certainly plenty there to make an interesting movie considering that the comic book version of the franchise features heroes from Victorian England,borrowing fromSherlock HolmesandTwenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seaas well asDracula.While the first movie was considered a bomb, it’s possible that the powers that be are hoping that bringing the new product to streaming might make it a bit more palatable.
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There isn’t a great deal known aboutthe new Hulu projectbeyond what the source material is. However, Justin Haythe, who has screen credits as a writer on films that includeRevolutionary Roadand the spy thrillerRed Sparrow, has been selected to write the screenplay for this newThe League of Extraordinary Gentlemenfilm, according toThe Hollywood Reporter. Don Murphy, who produced the original adaptation ofLeagueback in 2003, is also attached to the project that will eventually come toHulu. According to THR sources say, Haythe and the team are “returning to the core comic books” for the reboot.
That first film was indeed based on the Moore comics but it did famously take some liberties with the source material. While Allan Quatermain was the main character of both the books and the movie, there were new characters introduced in the film such as the addition of Tom Sawyer as a U.S. Secret Service agent. The film was also notable because, despite the fact that it was not a commercial or critical success, it just happened to be thelast movie that Connery appeared in. He officially retired from show business shortly after that movie hit theaters, surprising more than a few fans that he was ok with that being the movie he went out in.
As for the source material of this new Hulu project, Moore has had quite a few pieces of his work transformed into movies and television shows. Most notably wastheWatchmenmoviethat was very, very loyal to Moore’s graphic novel, though it did change up the ending. At the moment, it’s not clear when this newThe League of Extraordinary Gentlemenmight be hitting the streaming platform.
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemenis in development at 20th Century Studios.
