"Eclipse" Helmer Doing "Daredevil" Reboot

With superhero films being all the rage in Hollywood these days, it's no surprise that many studios are looking to reboot and remake past films that didn't work all that well. In a sense it all really started with "Batman Begins," which totally revamped the "Batman" franchise for the better and now 20th Century Fox is looking to do the same with everyone' favorite blind hero.

According to Deadline "30 Days of Night" and "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" director David Slade is in talks to develop and helm a reboot of the "Daredevil" film franchise for 20th Century Fox.

While the project doesn't have a writer attached yet, the film will be a continuation of the story started with the 2003 film starring Ben Affleck as the blind superhero. That film grossed $179M worldwide and was a critical failure, especially compared to films like "Iron Man" and "The Dark Knight."

While Affleck will not be involved in the project, some rumors have surfaced that the project will actually be more a reboot than a sequel as the storyline is said to be an adaptation of the critically acclaimed Frank Miller-written and David Mazzucchelli-illustrated "Born Again" run of the comic series.

In that series, blind hero Matt Murdock begins to systematically destroy his life when his ex sells his identity off for heroin to the Kingpin.

While the project will obviously take some time to come together, if the film follows the Miller storyline things might actually go pretty well for this adaptation. The first "Daredevil" was just a mess, and while I honestly like Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner, the first "Daredevil" film just did not do the character justice. Miller's story is one of the best to grace the character's pages and if the project casts the right man, this one could help "Daredevil" break out to the mainstream much like "Iron Man" did a few years back.

Slade's next film is the period horror "The Last Voyage of the Demeter" with Ben Kingsley and Noomi Rapace.

"Quantum" Leaps Into A Reboot

Actor Scott Bakula has confirmed that a script for a cinematic reboot of the "Quantum Leap" franchise is in the works, according to Blastr.

The actor spoke about the project while at Comic Con, saying show creator Donald P. Bellisario is working on the film script and has a producer who wants to do it. Said Bakula: "Don did say that as he was writing, he told me he was having trouble 'getting you and Dean out of my head.' But I know he will do it."

"Quantum Leap" was broadcast on NBC from 1989 - 1993. It was created by Bellisario and starred Bakula as Dr. Sam Beckett, a scientist who becomes lost in time following a time travel experiment, temporarily taking the places of other people to "put right what once went wrong."

Dean Stockwell co-starred as Al Calavicci, Sam's womanizing, cigar-smoking sidekick and best friend, who appeared as a hologram that only Sam could see and hear.

The series featured a mix of comedy, drama and melodrama, social commentary, nostalgia and science fiction.

Although the roles that he and Dean Stockwell played in the original time-jumping genre drama will go to younger actors, Bakula clearly still would like to be involved in some way saying, "Dean and I will have a part in it somehow."

It's personally one of my favorite shows of all-time, having discovered it on re-runs on SyFy years back. It's truly original and remains a great science fiction series. It's good to see something getting redone that actually deserves it.

Hopefully it will all come together and once more, we can see Dr. Sam Beckett say "Oh, boy!"

New Line Rebooting "Police Academy"

New Line is rebooting the "Police Academy" franchise.

According to the Hollywood Reporter: New Line is looking for recruits for a relaunched "Police Academy" movie. Original producer Paul Maslansky is back for the new iteration, which has no writer or director attached.

The original seven-film comedy series set up the premise that due to a policy change, the police department must accept all willing recruits, effectively abolishing various standards.

The films followed a group of misfit recruits including a likeable rogue, a busty blond, a small mousy woman with a loud angry voice, a gentle giant, a gun-nut and a one-man sound effects machine. Normally set up to fail by an ambitious captain, the group always ends up saving the day for their boss--the kind yet clueless Commandant Lassard.

The first film, released in 1984, starred Steve Guttenberg as Mahoney, a repeat offender who is forced to enter the academy and emerges as the group's leader. Other notable characters included Moses Hightower (Bubba Smith), gun-crazy Tackleberry (David Graf), mousy Hooks (Marion Ramsey) and sound effects-spewing Larvell Jones (Michael Winslow).

The first was R-rated and took in $81.2 million at the domestic box-office and $146 million worldwide in 1984--making it easily one of the year's biggest hits. All told, the franchise took in about $240 million worldwide and inspired a pair of TV series.

It's hoped that this reboot will not only revitalize the brand but will mix a bunch of new talent with seasoned comedy veterans.

Said Maslansky: "It's going to be very worthwhile to the people who remember it and to those who saw it on TV. It's going to be a new class. We hope to discover new talent and season it with great comedians. It'll be anything but another movie with a numeral next to it. And we'll most probably retain the wonderful musical theme."

As of yet there has been no word on what tone the comedy will take--the raunchier, edgier comedy of the early films or the kid-friendly slapstick of the later ones. Either way, it’s another remake for Hollywood, let’s just hope they also don’t screw this up.

I hope they bring Steve Guttenberg back, along with that guy who does “the voices” (parodied heavily and hilariously on “Family Guy”).

Directors Turn Down "Planet of the Apes" Reboot

Kathryn Bigelow, Robert Rodriguez and Tomas Alfredson have all apparently declined offers to direct Fox's "Caesar," their proposed upcoming reboot of the "Planet of the Apes" franchise, reports Vulture.

According to Vulture: The prequel to "Planet of the Ape"s continues to evolve at Twentieth Century Fox. Insiders say that producer Peter Chernin has been having trouble interesting the top tier of directors in swinging aboard: He has had discussions with Kathryn Bigelow, Robert Rodriguez and Tomas Alfredson, but all of them have declined.

But Chernin and Fox are so intent on making this movie that they’re progressing right down to the next level of meat-and-potatoes action directors: Albert and Allen Hughes ("The Book of Eli"); Pierre Morel ("Taken"); James McTeigue ("Ninja Assassin"); Dennis Illiadis ("The Last House on the Left"), and Scott Stewart ("Legion").

It’s never good when directors pass on your project. But to be honest, after making a film like “The Hurt Locker,” did the studio really think Bigelow would take on “Planet of the Apes”? It just doesn’t make sense, and clearly Bigelow agreed.

Rodriguez would have been an interesting choice, but he is busy producing the “Predators” remake and he didn’t want to get behind another franchise reboot.

Although the film is being shopped to “lower level” directors, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. For example, Morel was the director of “Taken,” which in my opinion was a great action movie. Sure, he didn’t do anything revolutionary with the genre, but it was entertaining, it kept me watching and it was a solid movie. A franchise in his hands could possibly turn out to be something great.

Only time will tell on who will take on “Caesar,” but as of now we know it won’t be a Bigelow.