Brian K. Vaughn To Adapt ‘Buck Rogers’ For Legendary TV
by Erik Amaya
Brian K. Vaughn is headed to the 25th Century.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Y: The Last Man co-creator will adapt Buck Rogers for Legendary Picture’s television division. Created by Philip Francis Nowlan, the character began appearing in the pages of Amazing Stories with the August 1928 issue. It told the tale of a gas company researcher who Rip-Van-Winkles his way 500 years to the future. There, he becomes a fighter in a war between various ex-American factions.
Rogers soon became a comic strip hero and would inspire characters like Flash Gordon, Adam Strange, and, of course, Duck Dodgers. Curiously, though, his film fortunes have been limited to the 12-part serial starring Buster Crabbe in 1939 and a re-edited version of the 1979 Buck Rogers in the 25th Century TV pilot. At one point, Frank Miller intended to make a Buck Rogers film as his follow-up to The Spirit, but the ruinous financial and creative response to that film ended any hopes of Miller continuing a film career. The late 1970s Buck Rogers series, starring Gil Gerrard, lasted two seasons.
Don Murphy and Susan Montford will produce the series as part of an overall plan to bring Buck to the movies, TV, and anime. Flint Dille, a noted voice in animation and grandson of original Rogers comic strip publisher John F. Dille, will also be involved in the series.
No details about Vaughn’s take are available as yet, but considering the original Buck Rogers premise, a certain timeliness about ex-American factions presents an obvious hook for the writer.
