Posted in: Amazon Studios, Disney+, HBO, Hulu, Netflix, Preview, streaming, TV | Tagged: action, bleeding cool, brian k vaughan, buck rogers, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, cable, drama, george clooney, sci-fi, science fiction, streaming, television, tv

Buck Rogers: Legendary, George Clooney, Brian K. Vaughan Eye TV Reboot

Published Thu, 28 Jan 2021 18:58:57 -0600

by Ray Flook

Last updated Tue, 02 Feb 2021 20:41:20 -0600

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Looks like even after movies like Gravity, Tomorrowland, and The Midnight Sky, award-winning actor and producer George Clooney just can't stop looking to the stars. On Thursday, it was announced that Clooney and his Smokehouse production company co-founder Grant Heslov were moving ahead with a television series reboot of Buck Rogers. Although no character details or casting details were revealed, Variety reports that Clooney may also be looking to lead the series as well as executive produce. Brian K. Vaughan (Lost, comic book series Saga) has been tapped to pen the project, with Legendary serving as the studio. Clooney and Heslov will executive produce alongside Angry Films' Don Murphy and Susan Montford and Flint Dille, the grandson of John F. Dille, the publisher of the original Buck Rogers comic strip. With no "home platform" officially announced, the project is expected to be shopped to broadcasters, cable networks, and streaming services (and considering the names attached, one would also expect there to be quite a bit of competition for the rights).

Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (Image: NBCU)

Based on the popular character created by Philip Francis Nowlan in 1928, "Buck Rogers" would go on to have a long run on the radio, in film serials, comic books, and merchandising. Perhaps the most popular take on the character (and one that holds a special place in this writer's geek heart) was NBC's earnestly cheesy 1979 television series Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. Captain William Anthony "Buck" Rogers (Gil Gerard), was a skilled a pilot who suffers a serious malfunction with his spacecraft, resulting in Rogers being frozen in suspended animation for over 500 years. When the series premiered, Rogers found himself waking up on an Earth in the 25th Century- long after the planet had rebuilt itself after a devastating nuclear war. Whether the series will stick with the 25th Century theme or look for something more around the 35th Century marks remains to be seen.

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