Greatest American Hero on the Silver Screen?!?

Newsarama is reporting that a film version of The Greatest American Hero may be forthcoming. The short-lived 80s television program, about a guy who finds a super-suit and then promptly loses the instruction manual, is a big favorite amongst my extended family, and while I can barely remember any of it, except for the theme song ("Believe It or Not” by Joey Scarbury, which is a five-star song in my iTunes library), I am incredibly psyched to hear this news. I think the property could gain a whole new following if a movie came out. And I think it deserves a much larger following than it has now.

Stephen J. Cannell, the creator of the series, speaks about how a film version might work:

“It’s Ralph Hinckley and Pam Davidson and Bill Maxwell,” Cannell said, indicating that the original three characters from the TV show would still be the focus of the movie. “We rehung it slightly in the screenplay. And with most action movies, you’d try to get an MPAA rating on it of PG-13. But this movie script we’ve got is a PG. I want it to be something that kids can go and see. So it has a lot of humor in it; it’s got a lot of effects. But basically, it’s still Ralph with the suit destroying his life, and Maxwell’s the Fed he can’t control, and all those elements that were in the last story were rehung slightly. You don’t want to do just a cookie-cutter reproduction of the pilot. You want to bring it to life for a new audience and a new generation.”

I like that the creator is involved, that he still has a certain reverence for the source material, and that he wants to keep it (relatively) kid-friendly. Good for him.

In the meantime, while we wait for this piece of cinematic awesomeness to arrive, we can check out comic books and an animated series based on the misadventures of our favorite superhero named Ralph. More on that in the Newsarama piece.

Comment on this article here.

Worth Your Consideration 003 - A GF5 Linkdump

• The latest Nine Inch Nails album, The Slip, which is available as a free download will also now be available as a physical CD. However, The NIN Hotline reports that only 200,000 copies will be released in the United States. The physical release will include, among other things, “a DVD of NIN performing live tracks from The Slip at rehearsals,” and I am ready to beat down anybody who stands in the way of me getting a copy.
• William Katt, the star of the most awesome television program of all-time, The Greatest American Hero, will be guest-starring on NBC’s Heroes next season. Newsarama reports that Katt will play a “really, really wonderful, seedy, smarmy-mouthed reporter.” Me, I haven’t seen any of the second season of Heroes, but I’m definitely going to have to catch up, now that I know about this upcoming guest appearance.

Comment on this article here.