LOS ANGELES, Nov 20 — More than 20 years after its last theatrical release, superspy franchise The Saint is looking to make a comeback with Chris Pratt replacing Val Kilmer as its leading man.
Paramount Pictures bought the movie rights to The Saint in 2016 and now, two years later, the project is looking for a cast.
Pratt, now best known for action blockbuster franchises Jurassic World and Guardians of the Galaxy, has been approached by Paramount and is in discussions over accepting the main role, according to Deadline.
“This is early days,” the outlet says.
First featuring in the Leslie Charteris novels, which debuted in 1928, master of disguise Simon Templar has appeared in a late 1930s and early ‘40s film series, a 40s radio show which had Vincent Price as Templar for much of its run, and a ‘60s British TV programme led by eventual James Bond actor Roger Moore.
Kilmer played the character in a 1997 film directed by Philip Noyce, then riding high off the success of Tom Clancy adaptations Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger.
A feature-length TV pilot was made in 2013 for a potential series, even containing cameos from Ian Ogilvy (another previous Simon Templar) and the late Moore, but failed to find a distributor until 2017 when it was released as a straight-to-video standalone. — AFP-Relaxnews
