First we hear that Philip Noyce (Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger, The Bone Collector) wants to bring Jack Ryan back to the big screen. Then he’s in business with Tom Cruise prepping The 28th Amendment for the big screen. Next thing we know, he and Cruise are both off of that film and knee deep in Edwin A. Salt. Now we hear that Noyce may be dropping Salt for a Captain Blood remake. Sounds like this guy has a little bit of the Quentin Tarantino syndrome.
It seems that Warner Bros. has a remake of the 1935 classic Errol Flynn swashbuckler, Captain Blood, on the boards and Noyce is thinking about abandoning ship in the taking-forever-to-get-started Edwin A. Salt (or maybe postponing that film?). In the original film, Flynn played a doctor who is sentenced to slavery in the Caribbean, where he befriends and leads a group of Pirates. The 1935 version was nominated for five Oscars including Best Screenplay, Best Director, and Best Picture, and was directed by the famous Michael Curtiz (Casablanca, Mildred Pierce, White Christmas).
The remake so far has no screenwriter, no cast, and no director, so I’m not sure it’s going to be ready to go for a while. Still, after the success of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies I can see why someone like Noyce might be interested in developing a film like this. I’ll keep you informed.
Who would you like to see take on the Errol Flynn role?
I think he's just taking a vacation, doing nothing, all the while his publicist is saying he's into everything.