"Terminator 3" director revives Marvel veteranBy Borys Kit
Thu Sep 14, 4:47 AM ET
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "Terminator 3" director Jonathan Mostow will write and direct "Sub-Mariner," an adaptation of one of Marvel Comics' oldest superheroes.
In the comic, the Sub-Mariner's real name is Prince Namor, a half-man/half-amphibian from the underwater kingdom of Atlantis. An anti-hero, he frequently finds himself helping the human race as much as he fights it when humans pollute the waters.
The Sub-Mariner first appeared in "Marvel Comics" #1 in 1939, when Marvel Comics was known as Timely Comics. He made his first modern appearance in the pages of "Fantastic Four" in the early 1960s.
Universal Pictures' take will see a young man discovering he actually is a prince from Atlantis, with him turning out to be the key man in a brewing war between the underwater world and the modern surface world.
Chris Columbus was on board to direct and produce the film in 2004.
Marvel Studios and producer Kevin Misher had long been interested in Mostow, but he was never available. When Mostow's schedule opened up, he called to check whether the character was up for grabs. When he was, Mostow developed a take that found the core of the character, something that had eluded the producers.
"We want to show our first hero, and still most unique hero, in a world that the audience has never seen before," said Kevin Feige, who will oversee the project for Marvel. "But that spectacle will be tempered with character. Our hero is caught between two worlds. That is the heart of the story, and it is that dichotomy that makes him so interesting."
"Sub-Mariner" will mark Mostow's first film since 2003's "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines." His credits include "U-571" and "Breakdown," both of which were for Universal.
Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
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