HOLLYWOOD, February 19, 2003–Forget Spider-Man and The Hulk! Marvel legend Stan Lee has a new superhero up his long sleeve. He’s struck a deal for his next live-action feature–Forever Man.
The project is based on Lee’s own idea and will be produced through his POW! Films along with new kid on the block Idiom Films.
The pic’s story line is being kept under wraps, but Lee said it will center on superheroes in a “different type of situation” than such previous comic adaptations as Spider-Man and Daredevil.
“It has to do with crime and punishment in the not-too-distant future and a unique way of punishing people who are menaces to society,” Lee told The Hollywood Reporter. “It’s a concept that hasn’t been seen before, with tremendously interesting villains with unique powers.”
Scribe Luke McMullen (Pigeonholed) will pen the screenplay.
Lee will co-produce the pic with Idiom Films president and managing partner Quay Hays, while POW! President Gill Champion will executive produce. According to The Hollywood Reporter, producers are putting the project on an ambitious fast track, with hopes of having Forever Man in theaters by the end of 2004.
“We’re thrilled to be working with my longtime friend Stan Lee,” Hays told the trade mag. “This new project is one of the most exciting and fresh ideas from the man whose fertile imagination raised the bar on originality.”
This year is gearing up to be a productive year for Lee. Last week’s release of Daredevil was the best President’s Day weekend opening ever in box office history. This summer, Universal Pictures is releasing The Hulk while 20th Century Fox will release its much-anticipated sequel >X2.
