UPDATE: Silver & Downey on Sgt. Rock & The Losers

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UPDATE: Silver & Downey on Sgt. Rock & The Losers

Source:Edward Douglas

November 8, 2008

Earlier this week, ComingSoon.net/Superhero Hype! spent some time in London visiting a location where Guy Ritchie was shooting his new version of Sherlock Holmes with Robert Downey Jr. as the 19th Century detective and Jude Law as Dr. Watson. While there, we did a bunch of interviews with the producers of the movie, including Dark Castle's Joel Silver and Susan Downey, who updated us on some of the projects they'd been developing with Ritchie which were put aside to do Sherlock Holmes. One of them was a movie based on the war comic hero Sgt. Rock, and Silver broke to us that Dark Castle would also be taking over The Losers.

Silver talked to us a little bit about Ritchie's planned war movie based on Sgt. Rock, which has been temporarily backburnered. "Guy did a great job on the script for 'Sgt. Rock' and I think that when (Quentin Tarantino's) 'Inglourious Basterds' was coming together so quickly, it made sense to kind of jump off that and jump onto this, because it was something that was really different and unique. I loved to think that one day we will make 'Sgt. Rock.' 'Inglourious Basterds' is a war movie and I'm looking forward to seeing it, but it's something that was a direct competition to 'Sgt. Rock' so I felt that we should hold off and do that when we can."

"Those two projects specifically, they still need more work in development," Downey agreed. "I know that Guy, he still has passion for them, but his focus right now is on this. I do believe that if there was a universe where he could be doing them all right now. He would want to, and we haven't jumped off him and looked for other people yet either. I'm not exactly sure what we're going to do, because we love those projects but they have to be done right, which is the other reason why we haven't moved forward even with him, because we've got scripts that were good but they hadn't landed just yet."

Silver also mentioned that he's looking to get on board to co-produce a movie based on the Vertigo comic book The Losers, which at one point director Tim Story was involved in making. "I've always liked that project, it was a competing project with 'Dirty Dozen' for a while, but it didn't happen at Warners, so we kind of took it into Dark Castle, so we may try to make that now. But I hope to do 'Dirty Dozen' one day, too. I always look at these things that there's a lot of time, a lot of movies to make. Sometimes the time is right for them and sometimes you have to wait to make them for another time." (Ironically, as we were waiting for permission to run this story, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Sylvain White would direct, which you can read about here.)

Before we left, Silver was asked about whether Wonder Woman was still a priority to which he said, "They’ve talked about it. It’s been in a constant state of development; we’ve just not been able to find the right way to do it yet.”

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Posted by: TFW the real batman on November 8, 2008 at 08:50:29

FIRSSSSSSSSSSTTTTTTT BoYeeeeeeeee
yeah sgt rock

Posted by: BlackAadam on November 8, 2008 at 09:44:50

Second

Posted by: Methos on November 8, 2008 at 10:26:33

I don't know if they can pull off a Sgt Rock film. It would be a hard sell to the main stream. And selling it as a comic film would make it even harder to do.

Posted by: Dr. Doc on November 8, 2008 at 11:31:43

i have never read Sgt. Rock comics, but it seems like it could be cool

i heard awhile back that Kiefer Sutherland was in the running for Sgt. Rock, while i think 24 is complete sh--, that sounds like good casting to me

i like how DC and WB are attempting to bring more than just their super hero comics to the big screen w/ Sgt. Rock and Jonah Hex

Posted by: spider droppings on November 8, 2008 at 11:32:46

4th this is as close as i have gotten!!!!!1

Posted by: TFW the real batman on November 8, 2008 at 13:17:31

all its reallygonna be is a war movie with the lead guy named sgt rock thats about all it ever really was

Posted by: Dr Moreau on November 8, 2008 at 13:22:00

Lets see, Joel Silver,Tim Story wow!!thats potential!!!!

Posted by: Chinese Batman Bruce Wang on November 8, 2008 at 15:10:37

The thing that I don't like about Sgt. Rock is that he is just that -- a rock. There is no need to film a movie about a rock for two hours. I mean, all he's going to do is just sit there and do nothing. And "The Losers"? What is this movie about? The Superherohype fans that post comments on films such as this? This is totally dumb. Yet at the same time totally awesome, because I feel like someone has made a movie about my life. The thing that I like is that there is something there for all to see and if they cannot see it then they must at least feel it.

The thing that I admired about "The Dark Knight" was that it was a dark film about a man. Yet, we saw no knight. For the first time in a long time, I thought I would be gisted by the multiude of father-abusers aka sons-who-love-them.

The thing about X-Men is that they are relateable to rocks and losers because of The Rock being attached to the film.

And speaking of The Rock. He should star in the film. Why? Well, because The Rock in any film signals only one thing: Oscar season is just around the corner and let the awards begin!

Posted by: jrobert on November 8, 2008 at 17:03:15

I read a lot of Sgt.Rock comics when I was a kid(well,I read a lot of comics when I was a kid period) but I agree with Methos`s post with a character like Sgt. Rock it may be hard to sell his story to the mainstream right now.
Sgt Rock is like General George S. Patton,depending on who you are and what your point of view is he either represents the best of the military or the worst of it.

He `s a tough,iron-willed soldier whose swaggering bravado rivals that of John Wayne`s and he actually enjoys war and the thrill of combat seems to turns him on.There`s a season for everything and with so many mounting casualties in the war in Iraq and people actually being put off of signing up for the military(I would`ve enlisted myself when I was 18 but the prospect of going to war and being maimed or blown to smithereens soured me off of the idea)I agree with Joel Silver it`s not the right time for a gung-ho war movie like Sgt. Rock (which is what it would have to be with someone like Sgt Rock as the lead) and a movie like The Dirty Dozen(which I liked).
God bless the Army and the Navy,I have a very deep level of respect for the armed forces because we need the armed forces-they put their lives on the line to keep us safe but right now I don`t think is the best time for Sgt Rock to be on the big screen.It`ll be a great,thrilling action movie no doubt and I would pay to see it,but temporarily putting it and The Dirty Dozen remake on the backburner is a wise decision.

Posted by: Gan168 on November 8, 2008 at 17:07:14

Sgt. Rock ?, thats all about easy company, thats "band of brothers", nuff said.

Posted by: M. Bison on November 8, 2008 at 19:34:31

I hope that this Sherlock Holmes live action novel film portrayal is really good judging by the looks of the film it looks to be a spring of summer blockbuster.

Posted by: Spideyfan4life on November 9, 2008 at 14:18:10

Boy, Joel Silver won't quit until he gets a superhero franchaise. Way to screw up Speed Racer, Joel!

Posted by: Chinese Batman Bruce Wang on November 9, 2008 at 16:24:03

@Spideyfan4life

I really don't blame Joel. I blame everyone who thought that they could actually make a movie out of a kid that drives a car for a living.

Not only that, but the world was not clamoring for a Speed Racer movie. No. They were not. I mean, why make a movie out of a cult TV show? And "cult" when used in accordance with movies and what not, is basically another way of saying "no one cares except for a small group of people."

Sorry, I would have liked to seen a great Speed Racer movie... but that is no guarantee that I would have seen it... so...

Posted by: Bruce_Wayne on November 9, 2008 at 19:18:28

SGT. Rock!!!!!!!! Why hasn't this happened yet???!!!

Oh...And...Jason Statham??? IS SGT ROCK!!!

Posted by: Juke Early on November 9, 2008 at 23:20:32

To the writer of this PR: the character is almost always referred to as DOCTOR Watson, because he is an MD. Or is this copy wriiten by a Brit-who never actually read Doyle, yet knows Watson is a doctor, and as a UK citizen refers to him as Mister? It's not nit picking when it's factual. . ..

Posted by: Krypjonian on November 9, 2008 at 23:23:58

Wait wait...

Did that article say MR. Watson? Please tell me that's a typo...

On topic- Cool they're doing Losers, bummer Rock's getting the shelf. I'd love to see a war epic about comic characters I love on the big screen, especially if they could get the likes of Bruce Willis or Kurt Russell for the lead.

Posted by: Krypjonian on November 9, 2008 at 23:25:01

Thank you Juke

Posted by: Brad L. Wooldridge on November 11, 2008 at 15:22:19

Well, at least Schwarzenegger's not playing Rock, right?

Posted by: Myra on February 12, 2009 at 16:58:32

Joel Silver is a piece of ****, breathing our air, that talentless hack.

Posted by: Darrell on April 15, 2009 at 18:20:16

I read many a Sgt. Rock comic as a kid and I completely disagree with jrobert.

Rock was not a 'let's kick ass and take names later, cause I love war' soldier. He was a leader who saw and hated the evil's of war but knew he had a job to do. He respected (and in many cases showed mercy an compassion) the enemy soldiers and felt the loss of his fellow comrades.

I don't know who they could get to play Rock. I think Bruce Willis could pull it off if he can get the personality of Rock down.

It should be interesting.

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