So, Fantastic Voyage, then. Long it has been tossed like a tiny miniature submarine cruising headlong through a dying scientist’s bloodstream along the channels of development hell. And yes, we do worry the metaphor police are going to be banging down the door like… We’ll stop.
But after many years and several directors flirting with the idea – James Cameron most notably – Independence Day director Roland Emmerich is the man who will sit in the captain’s chair for the remake of the 1966 cult classic.
Even if you’ve never seen the original, chances are you know the basics – a team of scientists including Raquel Welch and Donald Pleasance are tasked with being shrunk to microscopic levels and working their way through a defecting Russian scientist’s body to stop a dangerous blood clot caused when his motorcade is ambushed. And in an ironic turn, he’s the man who knows the most about the technology they’re using!
Now 20th Century Fox wants Emmerich, alongside National Treasure writers Marianne and Cormac Wibberley to find a way to make an updated version work. Expect plenty of fancy effects replacing the beloved but admittedly cheesy stringy immune system from the original. And since Cameron is still attached as a producer, we expect it’ll be spectacular. But can Emmerich make it human? Who knows…
