Genre: Superhero/Comic Book Adaptation/Adventure.
Studio:
Warner Brothers.
Production Company:
Amblin Entertainment.
Project Phase: Development Hell.
Who's In It:
Unknown.
Who's Making It:
Larry Wachowski, Andy Wachowski, Lester Lewis
(Screenwriters)?; based upon the DC Comics character Plastic Man.
Premise: He stretches to amazing lengths. He'll bend backwards to right wrongs. He'll go to any length to help the innocent. And chicks dig the guy. He's Plastic Man, the only-living male who won't think of ulterior motives when a pretty woman asks him about his rubber qualities.
Release Date: Unknown.
Developments:
January, 1997... Jeffrey Wright has been paid half of his director's fees and moved off the project. The studio is having difficulties with the script, and the project is growing cold.
Comments: Doesn't this project seem like the perfect excuse for CGI technology?
Rumors: Unknown.
Scoop Feedback:
June 7, 1996... We received a strange e-mail informing us that Keanu Reeves will be cast in the role of Plastic Man the week of June 15, 1996, according to this person who heard it from Daniel Scharf, who's was allegedly Geoffrey Wright's producer. As well, production designer Lawrence Paull (of Blade Runner fame) is 'in' the project. We'd love to confirm this but can't - if you can, you know how to reach us. [Scoop submitted anonymously.]
June 20, 1996... Another person heard rumors a few years back that Paul Reubens (Pee-Wee, remember?) was set to star in the vehicle before his tragic...er, setback. [Scoop sent in anonymously.]
July 7, 1996... This film may be an Amblin project. [Scoop reported by the 'Stuntman'.]
October 18, 1996... This scooper reports that they spoke to the Wachowski brothers recently. When the scooper asked about whether or not the film would ever be made, the Wachowskis sounded hesitant. The current script has Plastic Man as a sort of 'environmental crusader'. "The first time he urinates as Plastic Man, he realizes the urine is not biodegradable. That's all they told me," the source adds. [Scoop reported anonymously.]
December 1, 1996... This scooper writes to tell us some more background about the slow-moving project's history. In 1994, Amblin Entertainment had several up-and-coming screenwriters work on their own treatments of Plastic Man as long as certain "required" elements (such as blue Chinese gum that the character chews and the Plasticman suit) were included; otherwise, the writers were free to set up the story any way they liked. One of these writers, C.M. Talkington, (who later wrote and directed Love and a .45 for Trimark Pictures) "...wrote a script that was well written but perhaps a little too anti-heroish for Amblin," the scooper tells us. "I do not know if the Wachowski Brothers were part of this herd, or if their script was cobbled together and rewritten from the various scripts turned in. The Plastic Man film was originally shelved in 1994 when Disney went into production with their similar Stretch Armstrong movie. However, it's two years later and there is still no sign of Stretch. [Scoop sent in by 'filmjerk'.]
January 4, 1997... Jeffrey Wright has been paid half of his director fees and the studio has pulled the plug on the project, citing script problems. [Scoop provided by 'shape'.]
October 28, 1997... We've seen more movement at midnight in a cemetary than we've seen on this project in a long while; and this scooper would like to give us some backstory on what form Plastic Man was in before Sony aquired the rights. Years ago, the production team of Peter Guber and Jon Peters were developing the property and had met with Paul Reubens (of Pee-Wee Herman fame/infamy.) Reubens was being courted to become attached to the property until his, ah, incident in an adult movie theater 'sidetracked' (well, plain-out de-railed we suppose) his career. When Sony bought Guber-Peters out, Amblin inherited the project, and that's where we are today. [Thanks to someone anonymous.]