Warner Bros To Conjure Up 'Mandrake The Magician'
Created by Lee Falk way back in 1934, Mandrake told the adventures of a magician with the power to hypnotize his enemies.
Just as we told you yesterday with their apparent acquisition of Ron Howard's extremely expensive adaptation of The Dark Tower (possibly the most ambitious motion picture idea since Peter Jackson convinced financiers to make his vision for three Lord of the Rings movies in the late 90s), Warner Bros have huge cash reserves from the ending Chris Nolan Batman saga and the Harry Potter film franchise that they want to churn into new profitable franchises. This should be a good note to anyone in the industry right now - if you have a spec script or film idea to pitch that is a bit risky or unusual but has the potential for a franchise, take it to Warner Bros. The Hollywood Reporter are breaking the news that Warner Bros have plans to bring the vintage pulp comic Mandrake the Magician to the big screen. Created by Lee Falk way back in 1934, Mandrake told the adventures of a magician (obviously) with the power to hypnotize his enemies. Along with his African strongman companion Lothar, Mandrake fought enemies and evildoers as diverse and varied from gangsters, masters of disguises and even aliens. He also had an evil twin brother (is there any other kind?) who used his powers for devilish schemes rather than good (as evil twins do). The acquisition of the property is interesting as Marvel Studios are right now weighing up whether their own magician hero Dr. Strange has a concept with enough popularity legs to get made. They have writers working on an adaptation right now but it seems to be losing the race with Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish's Ant-Man being more likely to be the next original Marvel superhero out of the gate. Regardless, if WB are speedier in getting Mandrake off the ground you have to believe Doctor Strange is buggered. It's said Warner Bros. are looking to do a Sherlock Holmes with Mandrake and update the property for the 21st century and are currently searching for new writers to tackle the project. Dark Knight producer Charles Roven is overseeing the project through Atlas along with Andy Horwitz. I just wonder if he will give a nudge to Chris Nolan to see if he has any more interest in magician tales after the exquisite dueling magicians thriller "The Prestige". 
Over the years many have been trying to pin down an adaptation of Mandrake for the screen, even going as far back as its inception. Columbia Pictures first attempted the feat with a serial in 1939 and then a TV movie back in the 70s. Bizarrely, Italian maestro Federico Fellini even tried to get a movie off the ground in the 60s but nothing came of it. More recently Disney have had their hands on the property before Baldwin Entertainment and Hyde Park tried to get a version off the ground with Jonathan Rhys Meyers (who was once rumoured also for the Dr. Strange movie) and then Hayden Christensen to be written by David and Janet Peoples. But as we've said WB are chucking that screenplay out and starting over. Expect new writers to be hired soon.