Flash Gordon - The Future?

As you can see if you've been following this short series of articles, Flash Gordon has been a popular and successful character in many mediums over the years. But it's also pretty obvious from this short history that he's a character who has been sadly neglected in recent decades.

Part of the reason is probably the nature of the character. Over the years there's been a move to adopt more complex heroes and even anti-heroes in our literature and movies. Flash Gordon is a simple black and white do-gooder. He doesn't fit the mold of modern storytelling very well.

There is some hope for more adventures of Flash Gordon though. Back in 2004 Universal Studios announced that there was going to be a new Flash Gordon feature film. The new movie would be directed and written by Stephen Sommers.

Sommers was responsible for the recent, less than successful, Van Helsing. More promisingly though he was also the writer of The Mummy and The Mummy Returns, which were entertaining and captured some of the action packed nature of old cliffhanger serials.

That announcement was followed up with frenzied casting speculation, including the rather scary notion that Ashton Kutcher might star as Flash Gordon himself. Don't get too worked up mind you as it is just speculation.

Unfortunately since then not much has been heard about the Flash Gordon movie project. The process of getting a movie made in Hollywood is convoluted and can sometimes take years, so I guess we'll just have to wait and see what comes next.

1) Flash Gordon, A History
2) Flash Gordon - The Comic Strip
3) Flash Gordon Movie Serials
4) Flash Gordon The Movie
5) Flash Gordon - The Future