Australian production company Sherlock Symington Productions have secured film rights to creator Lee Falk's "The Phantom", aka 'The Ghost Who Walks'.
"Phantom: Legacy," a re-boot of the comic strip character will be budgeted at $87 million, focusing on a "Father/Son relationship, and what it means to be The Phantom", screenwriter Tim Boyle said.
"The film will be set in the present day and will deal with the concept of destiny."
Created as a newspaper comic strip by by Falk in 1936, predating both 'Batman' and 'Superman' as the first costumed super-hero to appear in print, premise of "The Phantom" begins with 'Christopher Standish', a cabin boy for explorer Christopher Columbus, who marries and becomes the captain of his own commercial vessel. But his ship comes under attack by pirates and his only son 'Kit', the sole survivor, washes up on a 'distant African shore', befriended by the 'Bandar' tribe of pygmies.Swearing revenge against 'piracy and injustice', Kit fashions a costume and becomes a feared figure, riding a white stallion, with a companion wolf running alongside.
"The Phantom" that appears in the current comic strip is Kit's 21st descendant. The first 1940's 'Phantom' comic books were reprints from newspaper strips, published by Ace, King and Harvey comics. More recent comic books have been published by Charlton, DC and Marvel.
"Being able to bring the first masked comic superhero back to the big screen is an absolute honor," said Boyle.
"I've been researching The Phantom intensely for the last year or so and I've been working with the support of King Features Syndicate to try and bring you the tightest possible film. Yes, this is a new look at the comic book hero...He will be, without doubt 'The Phantom'. A man who has sworn an oath to protect..."
"Phantom: Legacy" will likely be shot in Australia, with production set to start Fall 2009.
