It looks like the classic 1991 Disney film, The Rocketeer, is getting the reboot treatment at the House of Mouse. According to a report by The Wrap, Sylvie’s Love scribe Eugene Ashe will be looking to write the upcoming project at Disney+. Meanwhile, David Oyelowo is currently attached to star and produce the new project, which is part of his and his wife’s first-look deal with Disney.
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The 1991 film starred Billy Campbell, Jennifer Connelly, Alan Arkin, Timothy Dalton, and Paul Sorvino. The pulp superhero film was directed by Joe Johnston, who also directed Captain America: The First Avenger. It also featured groundbreaking visual effects from Industrial Light & Magic and a film score by Jim Horner.
The film was based on the comic of the same name by Dave Stevens. The character began as a backup story in the pages of Starslayer in 1982. The character then received his own title, where he saved his girlfriend and uncovered various sinister plots. Stevens sadly passed away in 2008 after a battle with leukemia.
The film version was set in Los Angeles in the 1930s and starred Campbell as Cliff Secord, a young stunt pilot who finds a prototype jetpack. He later acquires the jetpack and becomes the hero known as The Rocketeer. He soon becomes embroiled in a plot with Nazis and other villains who seek to acquire the jetpack as well, so Secord must now protect his friends and loved ones. Connelly portrayed his girlfriend, a struggling actress.
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The original film was not a big hit in theaters, grossing only about $46 million off of a $35 million budget. However, it’s since been recognized as a beloved cult classic. In 2019, there was a short-lived preschool Disney Junior animated series, The Rocketeer, which featured Billy Campbell voicing another character, Dave Secord. The show only lasted one season from 2019-2020 and only ran for 22 episodes (42 segments in total).
There was previously an attempt to reboot the project by director J.D. Dillard, but it failed to materialize. As of last year, he was no longer involved in the project. At one point, it had the working title of The Return of The Rocketeer. The new reboot is being produced by Oyelowo’s Yoruba Saxon Productions banner. Blake Griffin and Ryan Kalil’s Mortal Media are also attached as executive producers.
Eugene Ashe previously broke out with the 2020 feature Sylvie’s Love, which debuted at the Sundance Film Festival. The film was a period romance story set in the early 1960s, telling the story of a Black woman who falls in love with a Jewish man. The story was praised for its story of the era.
Speaking to The Wrap previously about his plans for the project, Oyelowo talked about making something that will resonate with fans and audiences for the next 30 years, similar to the original. The plan is to center the new film’s story around an ex-Tuskegee airman and will be set in the 1940s. He stated the following:
“I was a big fan of the first one. Actually had the poster up in my bedroom as a teenager. It’s a beloved property over [at Disney], so to be trusted with it is a real privilege. We’re going to take care of the fans of the original and hopefully bring in a whole new fanbase. In our film, he’s going to be an ex-Tuskegee airman, so it’s still in that 1940s milieu.”
“We know we have to adhere to the things that people loved about the first one. But that was 30 years ago, so we want to make a film that’s going to resonate for the next 30 years and especially for the now. That’s the needle we have to thread and we’re working hard to do so.”
– David Oyelowo via The Wrap
The original film is an all-time classic. It should be interesting to see what Oyelowo and Ashe come up with. The Rocketeer reboot is currently in the works for Disney+. It would debut exclusively on the streamer.
What do you think of the news? Are you excited about a reboot of The Rocketeer? Do you think it’s a good idea? Would the series be a must-watch? Let us know your thoughts about the new series project on The Illuminerdi’s social media.
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