The Incredible Hulk scribe Zak Penn, according to Variety, has been given the task of writing and producing Fox’s The Argonauts, its new spin on the classic myth, which was immortalised in film in the 1963 Harryhausen stop motion spectacle Jason And The Argonauts.
This version is based on an original take on the tale by Penn, which tells the story of Jason and his crew of the Argo, and their quest to find the Golden Fleece. John Davis, of Alien Vs Predator fame, is on board to produce too.
While it is encouraging to see the project is still moving forward, there is a certain amount of ennui involved with it being yet another remake, and it will have to work hard to shake free of these shackles. Sword and sandals flicks were resurrected, temporarily, with Ridley Scott’s Gladiator and 300 proved a box office success last year. Fantasy epics too have proved popular with Jackson’s success with Lord Of The Rings, not to mention Harry Potter’s ongoing adventures.
But the interest in such fare has dimmed with more recent efforts such as Oliver Stone’s Alexander bombing and The Dark Is Rising, Eragon and even the Chronicles Of Narnia series failing to set the box office alight too. Perhaps, though, Jason will be the one to prove the genre’s enduring appeal. If not, there is always Louis Letterier’s Clash of the Titans…
