K.T Simpson
80s fans, I’m sure all your ears have perked up at this one! Gary Whitta (“Rogue One” screenwriter) has revealed on Twitter that he and writing partner Jonathan Betuel have been working on a reboot of the 80’s classic “The Last Starfighter”, and are in the early stages of getting the project off the ground.
Okay, probably shouldn’t show you this so early but here’s a little something I’ve been tinkering on with my co-writer Jonathan Betuel. You might recognize the ships. Thanks to the amazing Matt Allsopp (lead concept artist on ROGUE ONE) for creating these images for us. pic.twitter.com/CIobLYYRHk
— Gary Whitta (@garywhitta) April 4, 2018
Whitta’s Tweet reveals that “Rogue One” concept artist Matt Allsopp helped visualise their ideas.
Further to the Twitter tease, Whitta spoke to i09 and gave some further details on the project, and where it was up to. Again, early stages.
Betuel created and wrote the original film, so it makes sense for him to be heavily involved in a remake. After tracking him down, Whitta was able to work with Betuel and notes they have a “fully developed story that is a combination of reboot and sequel that we both think honors the legacy of the original film while passing the torch to a new generation. We’re both very excited about it creatively.”
Whitta also noted:
“All I know is, we’re trying really hard to make this a reality. It’s a passion project for Jon and me both. And I know we have a great movie here. But we still need to deal with some remaining biz stuff before we can really move forward. We’ve had a lot of talks with Universal. We’re determined, one way or another, to make this happen. Trying to create in Hollywood is always like pushing a boulder uphill, particularly when there are archaic rights issues involved, but we’re going to keep trying. That’s the lesson of Starfighter… when you get your chance you’ve got to grab it with both hands, and hold on tight.”
“The Last Starfighter” was released in 1984, and saw a teenager recruited by an alien defence force to fight in an interstellar war. Nick Castle directed the film, and it starred Lance Guest, Dan O’Herlihy, Catherine Mary Stewart and Robert Preston.
