We recently learned a list of Marvel Comics that Quentin Tarantino envisioned as films during the press rounds for The Hateful Eight. It also resurfaced that he once tried to make a Luke Cage movie with Laurence Fishburne in the 90’s, when the studio wanted Wesley Snipes instead he walked.
Apparently, he’s also been offered a couple of DC movies in the past as well. He was originally approached to make Green Lantern before Martin Campbell ultimately directed that disaster.
“They did get in touch with me in the very early, early, early, early stages of ‘Green Lantern,’ and a couple of other things,” he said. “They’ve learned. I actually got things unmade because I showed a little interest in them, but never quite go all the way, and they don’t want to move on. I did that with ‘The Man From UNCLE‘ every time somebody new got the rights. They’ve probably learned not to call me, they know I write my own shit.”
That’s not the only DC Comics movie he’s had some discussion about, Quentin revealed that he kicked-around the idea of making Warner Bros’ Sgt. Rock movie which had someone else’s script attached. He didn’t elaborate, but we assume that he’s talking about the 80-90s incarnation.
The project had been in the works since the 80’s with producer Joel Silver (Lethal Weapon, Matrix, Die Hard, Predator, Commando) and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, the character being altered to be an Austrian-American soldier fighting Nazis during WWII. Plenty of writers were hired to develop scripts they include David Peoples (Blade Runner, Unforgiven, Twelve Monkeys) in 1987, John Milius (Dirty Harry, Conan The Barbarian, Red Dawn, Apocalypse Now) in 1993, and Brian Helgeland (Mystic River, Man on Fire, Legend, L.A. Confidential) in 1996.
Joel Silver even distributed Sgt. Rock comics to the cast of Predator, as he and Arnold was super proud about the budding action flick. Shane Black is seen reading an issue during the credits. The pair created Lethal Weapon together and Shane would later direct his own comic book film with Iron Man 3.
Warner Bros. would eventually resurrect the film with Silver landing directing Guy Ritchie (The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Knights of The Round Table, Snatch, Sherlock Holmes) with a promise to focus on Easy Company, but he would eventually exit and the film would be thrown into limbo. When DC Entertainment was formed Sgt. Rock was cancelled along with the Lobo film Silver was developing as well with Ritchie.
We’ve assumed that Sgt. Rock might be back on the table if Warner Bros. is willing to make a period comic book film like Wonder Woman.
It’s possible a reason Wonder Woman is set during WWI and not WWII to allow some wiggle-room for Sgt. Rock to get another shot at a feature adaptation. Although, it’s been rumored the Wonder Woman sequel could be set in WWII, which might be good reason to include Rock as a supporting character giving him a top-tier introduction into the DCCU.
Do you think Warner Bros. should give Sgt. Rock a fourth shot at a feature film?
SOURCE: THE PLAYLIST