Legendary taps top Marvel writer for epic sci-fi ‘Buck Rogers’ reboot — here’s what we know so far
‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ writer Zeb Wells has been tapped to pen the script of the new adaptation of the fan-favorite 'Buck Rogers' film. According to a report by Deadline, Legendary has finally started making some progress on the feature adaptation of the iconic sci-fi character Buck Rogers, nearly five years after securing the rights to the epic character. At the time of writing, no additional details of the upcoming film, including the plot, cast, and release date, have been revealed. For the unversed, let us share with you that the news of Legendary's deal for Buck Rogers rights first surfaced online in 2020.
Legendary has struck a deal to produce not just the feature film, but an entire transmedia franchise. Yes, you read that correctly. The studio will also develop a live-action series and an anime series. So far, it’s unclear if the character will appear on television. For those unfamiliar, Rogers first appeared in Philip Francis Nowlan’s 1928 novella 'Armageddon 2419 A.D.', published in the August issue of the pulp magazine 'Amazing Stories'.
Since then, Buck Rogers has appeared in various newspaper strips, such as the 'Buck Rogers in the 25th Century A.D.' In addition to this, the iconic character has also made his way in serials for radio and film, including Universal’s 1939 serial starring Buster Crabbe called 'Buck Rogers', as well as NBC’s 'Buck Rogers in the 25th Century.' Furthermore, Buck Rogers has also been featured in numerous comic books.
Speaking of Wells, the Emmy-winning director is well-known for his works on shows like 'Robot Chicken,' 'SuperMansion,' and many more. In 2021, Wells served as one of the writers for the 'Amazing Spider-Man: Beyond' storyline. Next year, Wells became the lead writer for 'The Amazing Spider-Man' along with artist John Romita Jr. In the past, Wells also penned the script for highly acclaimed comics for Marvel, like the one-shot crossover 'Deadpool/Batman.' Subsequently, Wells also wrote the script of 'Deadpool & Wolverine' alongside Ryan Reynolds, Rhett Reese, Paul Wernick, and Shawn Levy. The Marvel film grossed $1.3 billion worldwide, and it emerged as the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time.