OH NO, NOT A DAN DARE MOVIE?

The idea of a Dan Dare movie fills me with dread. As a small English boy – before they invented sex or drugs or rock & roll – I was wholly and helplessly addicted to Dan Dare: Pilot of the Future, (my only other pastimes were hanging out with my dog, The Goon Show, setting fires. and creating explosions.) Every week I waited with bated breath for the new edition of Eagle in which Dan Dare was the lead full color, two page strip. In later life Dan Dare was only replaced by Elvis Presley in my obsessions. Over the years, there has always been talk of a Dan Dare movie. It was something to be both desired and dreaded. If it was good, all would be bliss. If bad, contracts would need to be put out on all concerned, with an extra Tony Soprano, hurt-them-very-badly-before-you-kill-them clause.
Now DD movie talk currently appears to be taking another go-round. Seemingly the rights to the property were acquired by Virgin Comics (and Richard Branson) a few years ago. The idea, when Branson acquired the rights, was to relaunch the character first in the comics – bringing Garth Ennis aboard to create a darker version of Dan Dare. (Ennis also has two other comic properties currently in development: Preacher and The Boys.) Once revived, the plan was then to create a film out of the property. That project has been “slow to develop, but now that Warner Brothers has picked it up and signed Sam Worthington (an Australian) the pieces might just fall in place. Neither a writer nor director is attached, but the search is currently on.” All I can say is “fuck it, assholes, stop searching. I’m here. Call me. You won’t find anyone better for the job.”

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