Are cheap paperback book movies the next comic book movies? Two forgotten action heroes are getting the big screen treatment.
The Executioner and The Destroyer are coming to the movies. No, this isn't a WWE tag team. These are two characters made famous by their respective series of lurid paperback novels, full of action, intrigue, and more action. Just to be clear, these are two separate projects. The Executioner (that would be Mack Bolan) is in development at Warner Bros. for Bradley Cooper, while Shane Black is bringing The Destroyer(his name is Remo Williams) to Columbia pictures.
There are over 100 novels in The Destroyerseries, created by Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir, although this isn't Remo Williams' first time on the big screen. He was the subject of the often-overlooked Guy Hamilton directed, Fred Ward starring Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins. Williams is a martial-arts badass who runs secret missions for secret government organization CURE. Shane Black is set to direct. No word on a timeline for this or his Doc Savage movie, yet.
Mack Bolan, the subject of The Executioner series of novels by Don Pendleton (there are hundreds of 'em), is a notable influence on Marvel's The Punisher, but ol' Mack Bolan hasn't made it to the movies yet. Todd Phillips is in talks to direct the film with Bradley Cooper as Bolan. Shane Salerno is writing the script.
So, Doc Savage, The Executioner, and The Destroyer? While Doc Savage is a period piece set in the '30s and may require a little mure nuance than these others (but only a little), the latter two should probably feel like action movie throwbacks. Black's sensibilities in particular should be perfect for Remo Williams. Meanwhile, it's like Hollywood just wandered into the used bookstore of my dreams...
Sources: Deadline and The Tracking Board
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