Somebody has cast one hell of a spell on the studio execs at Warner Brothers, because word has it they're planning a film based on Mandrake the Magician, the character created by Lee Falk way back in 1934. The reason I say that is because another film based on the crime fighting illusionist has been in the works for five years, with practically zero movement. I haven't heard anything about it since 2009. This production would be separate from that one, putting the golden age comic strip hero into a modern setting.
Most people my age will remember Mandrake from the Saturday morning cartoon, Defenders of the Earth, a superteam made up of other characters from the Kings Features imprint, including The Phantom and Flash Gordon. It wasn't very good, and basically any recent attempts to make Mandrake viable have fallen flat. Marvel Comics released a three issue comic book series which was so lame only two issues ever saw print. He's just not a very good character, unfortunately.
Jonathan Rhys Meyers(Bend It Like Beckham) and Hayden Christensen(Shattered Glass) were attached to lead other attempted adaptations, so maybe one of them will reappear now that Warner Brothers is in control? [THR]
