It has been long enough since last we saw Flash Gordon on a great big screen (nearly forty years, if we’re being precise). But fear not! Disney and 21st Century Fox are teaming up to bring a brand new Flash adventure to the world—and they need Taika Waititi’s help to make it happen.
According to Deadline, there’s no specific word on precisely how Waititi will be involved with the movie, only that he’s being asked to “crack” the thing, which sounds as though he’s getting a chance to show up with his idea for the film and see how the execs take it. If all goes well, he’ll likely write and direct the project. There have been other names attached to Flash in the recent past, including director’s Matthew Vaughn and Julius Avery, but the decision to turn toward animation is a relatively new angle, and Waititi’s potential involvement is certainly something to get excited about.
Is this the magic needed to bring Flash Gordon into a new century? While not everyone is a fan of the overwrought camp of the 1980 film, the decision to make Flash Gordon a more family-friendly sojourn could be just the right move to introduce the character to a different generation of viewers. Given Waititi’s proven knack for making good use of source material—his display of Jack Kirby’s colorful environments in Thor: Ragnarok gave the film a gorgeous and unique flair—there’s also a chance that more of the original comic strips by Alex Raymond will make their way into the story.
Too bad we can’t ask Queen for another soundtrack, though.
