Mr. Fantastic

Another classic film from my childhood is about to be remade...

Michael Fleming of Variety:

Helmer Roland Emmerich (pictured) is boarding a remake of the 1966 sci-fi pic "Fantastic Voyage" for 20th Century Fox.

"National Treasure" scribes Marianne and Cormac Wibberley are in talks to write the script.

"Voyage" is about a scientist who is dying of a blood clot. His only chance for survival is for five scientist colleagues to be miniaturized in a ship, and injected into his bloodstream.

The original, directed by Richard Fleischer, starred Raquel Welch and Donald Pleasence.

Emmerich's Centropolis Entertainment partner Michael Wimer will produce with James Cameron's Lightstorm Entertainment.

It is Emmerich's second tour of duty on the project, after being attached a decade ago. The Wibberleys recently took a stab at a draft of "Voyage" that sparked the director's renewed interest in doing the remake.

"Fantastic Voyage" is the director's third large-scale film for Fox, after "Independence Day" and "The Day After Tomorrow."

Emmerich recently completed "10,000 B.C..," which will be released March 7 by Warner Bros. and Legendary.

The Wibberleys are among the dozen scribes in Writing Partners, the scribe collective which just sealed an unusual first-look deal with Fox for spec scripts. (Daily Variety, Aug 14) That deal is reserved for original creations by those writers, so the "Fantastic Voyage" assignment doesn't apply.

As a fan of Fleischer's work in general, and his Fantastic in particular, I'm dubious about a remake...Although I accept the inevitable...As for Emmerich, I can take him (ID4), or leave him (Day and his God awful Godzilla flick) Fingers crossed that he doesn't screw this one up.