A remake of the 1976 sci-fi film Logan’s Run has been in the works for almost 20 years now, and now it looks like X-Men franchise screenwriter (and producer) Simon Kinberg will be the next filmmaker to tackle the project.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the X-Men: Days of Future Past writer has been hired by Warner Bros. to pen the story for a remake of the cult classic about a dystopian future in which people are executed after reaching a certain age in order to maintain stability for the population and the world’s dwindling resources. The film — which was itself based on a 1967 novel by William F. Nolan — starred Michael York in the titular role of a “Sandman” tasked with executing anyone who “runs” from the mandated execution, only to become a runner himself when he meets a member of the underground rebellion.
A remake of the original film, which earned three Academy Award nominations, has been in the works for a long time now. Notable screenwriters such as Alex Garland (Ex Machina, 28 Days Later), Will Beal (Gangster Squad), and Christopher McQuarrie (Mission: Impossible Rogue Nation) have all been brought on to draft scripts for the project, along with directors such as Bryan Singer (X-Men: Days of Future Past) and Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive), only to have development stall. Ryan Gosling was attached to star in the film several years ago, only to have that version of the project fall into limbo.
Already involved with many of the superhero franchises in development at 20th Century Fox (including X-Men, Fantastic Four, and Deadpool), Kinberg is also currently attached to co-write and co-produce one of the upcoming Star Wars spinoff movies set in the studio’s “Star Wars Anthology” universe.
There’s no word on when Warner Bros. is looking to put the Logan’s Run remake into production at this point.