‘Buck Rogers’: Skydance Developing A Competing Movie As Legendary Is Hit With Legal Threats From Buck Rogers Estate

Deadline is reporting that Skydance Media is going to be making their own Buck Rogers project after there was news of Legendary hiring Brian K. Vaughn to write a new live-action series with George Clooney set to produce and possibly star as the titular Buck. This is certainly odd given that Legendary had announced it secured animation, film, and television rights to the sci-fi pulp hero.

But there seemingly have been ongoing legal issues and claims surrounding the property for ages.

Skydance is apparently developing a feature film with the Buck Rogers Estate sending a cease-and-desist letter to Legendary in the hopes of them nixing their projects claiming they’ve already signed away the property rights to Skydance. However, it doesn’t sound like Legendary is actually taking the threat of legal action seriously.

This isn’t the first or last time that a IP’s rights have been fought over.

SOURCE: DEADLINE

‘Buck Rogers’: George Clooney To Produce & Possibly Star In New Sci-Fi Series From Legendary

Legendary‘s upcoming Buck Rogers reboot series is getting some help from a Hollywood heavy-weight as The Hollywood Reporter reveals that George Clooney has boarded with his company Smokehouse Pictures to produce the latest incarnation of the sci-fi hero. The new series is being written by Brian K. Vaughn.

Adding he might end up playing the titular character as well.

The character of Rogers first appeared in a story titled Armageddon 2419 and published in a 1928 issue of pulp mainstay, Amazing Stories. Written by Philip Francis Nowlan, the story told of a man who is trapped in a coal mine during a cave-in, falls into suspended animation and Rip Van Winkle-style wakes up almost 500 years into the future. There, he is enlisted to help fight a war between several gangs in what was once America.

George Clooney is not a stranger to the science fiction genre with films Gravity, Solaris, The Midnight Sky, and Disney’s Tomorrowland. Not to mention the cinematic achievement Return of The Killer Tomatoes!.

It’s still unknown where Buck Rogers will ultimately land as a streamer or network has yet to pick-up the show. Legendary is currently working on HBO Max’s Dune: The Sisterhood alongside Skull Island and Tomb Raider, two recently announced anime series for streaming giant Netflix.

SOURCE: THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER