Genre: Action/Thriller.
Studio:
Universal.
Production Company:
Unknown.
Project Phase: Development Hell.
Who's In It:
Unknown.
Who's Making It:
John Escow (Screenwriter); Joseph M. Singer (Producer); based on the novel Ignition by
Kevin J. Anderson and Doug Beason.
Premise: Die Hard on the shuttle. When terrorists seize control of a United States space shuttle, it's up to the crewmembers on-board to defuse a bomb placed somewhere on the vessel.
Release Date: Unknown.
Comments: Anderson is best known for his X-Files and Star Wars novels. This marks his debut as a screenwriter.
Rumors:
October, 1996... While talking to Dario Carrasco, Jr. (penciller for the Tales of the Jedi comic book series), Kevin Anderson mentioned that he's like to see someone like Jerry Doyle (who portrays Security Chief Michael Garabaldi in the television series Babylon 5) in the role of the hero.
Scoop Feedback:
October 20, 1996... [Some information supplied by 'Steve'.]
November 17, 1996... The screenwriter for this project is John Escow, not Kevin J. Anderson as reported earlier. Also, the screenplay is based upon the forthcoming Ignition novel by Anderson and Doug Beason. The book should hit your local bookstore in March 1997. Producer Joseph Singer's last credit was for Courage Under Fire. And just to make things really difficult for the story's protagonist (a Shuttle commander), he has to fight off the terrorists with a broken leg. Names being tossed for the Shuttle's C.O. include Harrison Ford and Sylvester Stallone. [Scoop info sent in by Brent "The Man" Lynch and 'KevReb'.]
June 29, 1997... The latest word from behind closed doors is that Sylvester Stallone himself might sign on as the shuttle's C.O. [Scoop handed in by 'Scoopy Scoopy Doo'.]
September 2, 1997... While on the set of Charlie Sheen's new action-comedy Money Talks, this fellow heard that Sheen might be in Ignition as the main terrorist. [Brought to us by 'The Last Boyscout'.]
May 18, 1998... The Internet is abuzz with the rumor that the next Die Hard film will be based on Anderson's Ignition novel. Anderson hasn't heard anything about it himself, and our listening devices at TwenCen didn't pick up any conversations about the rumor. Either it's false or the Fox people have finally figured out that they should communicate in sign language when development meetings take place. [Thanks to 'The Schank', '778 million', 'Dinkadee1' and 'Rufus'.]
We received a critical email about the similarities that have been noted between Die Hard and Ignition. If you would like to read the scooper's comments, we'd like to warn you that there are SPOILERS contained in the email concerning the characters and storyline in Ignition. " 'IGNITION' (the book) copies the DIE HARD premise so precisely I'm surprised no one from the DIE HARD camp is suing. Cultured, conniving, main villian who wears a suit (Hans = 'Mr. Philips'), Main enforcer becoming enraged when another villian they are attached to is killed/hurt (The two brothers = Yvette & Jacques), a plain-spoken, almost hick-ish villian, (the false receptionist villain = Rusty), an inital repelling of security forces trying to take back the Kennedy Space Center from the terrorists, the main villian ultimately falling to his demise thanks to our heroine... The list goes on and on. I think 'Hack Job' comes to mind rather then 'Original Novel.'
"As for who should/shouldn't be the leads - The main hero (Iceberg) SHOULDN'T be anyone who has been mentioned yet. Sylvester Stallone? Give me a break. Iceberg is intimidated during a good chunk of hand-to-hand combat and mainly wins by luck instead of skill. Sly's got more muscles on his right arm then most people have on their entire bodies. Sly's out.
"Harrison Ford? PLEASE! (<-Sarcasm). While Harrison might fit the age requirement, AIR FORCE ONE showed us he's getting a little too grandfatherly for these types of roles. Someone a bit younger, someone who can play a bit more cocky without being smug.
"Jerry Doyle? Oh, yeah. I don't know. I haven't seen much of his work, but if memory serves me correctly, he's short and stout. Iceberg is in fine shape and, at one point, another character remarks about how long his arms are. I know that's pulling a technical, but I don't know if Jerry's up to it. I don't think he'd fit the part.
"Who would? Good question. One man comes to mind : Michael Biehn. He's athletic without being a bodybuilder, he can be cocky without being smug, he fits the general age requirement, he fits the general description of Iceberg... Right now, he's my top choice. Anyone else, short of a surprise candidate, would be some sort of Hollywood compromise.
"And no, NO LEONARDO DICAPRIO! He's far, far too young for the role, unless they want to call it 'Ignition 90210'!
"As for the villian, Mr. Philips...Charlie Sheen? Charlie Sheen?! No, no, wait a minute, let me make sure I've read this right...CHARLIE SHEEN?!? He doesn't fit the character description AT ALL! He's not even close! OK, if we go by the book, Mr. Philips is (A). Cultured, (B). At least 35-50 years of age (more like 40-50), (C). Snob city. I can Sheen doing (A), but I just can't see him in the part. Too young, for starters.
"My choice for Mr Philips...Simon MacCorkindale (if he's still alive and relatively in shape). By now, he's got to be around the age requirement, he can pull off Cultured with no problem, he can be Snob of the Century if he wants to be...the man is a natural for the part. The only hitch : The book calls for someone short, something I don't think he is.
"So what about everyone else? I don't know. You're looking for a slightly older actress for our heroine, Nicole Hunter. Right now, I can only think of Demi Moore for the part. It's a big enough role for her to be attracted to, she's within the age requirements (maybe a bit young for them, but still around there) and all the usual stuff. Perhaps (and this is just conjecture from what the book said) a bit too physically in shape, but besides that, a good enough match."
[Dreamcasting by Steve.]
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