Logan’s Run Remake Lands a New Director

If everything goes right, the long delayed remake of Logan’s Run might finally see the light of day.  According to The Hollywood Reporter’s Heat Vision blog, Warner Brother’s has tapped Carl Rinsch to direct the film, with Joel Silver and Akiva Goldsman producing.

Rinsch is best known for his work in advertising. His name has been attached to 47 Ronin for Universal and was set to direct the Alien prequel before Ridley Scott decided to take the reins once more. Rinsch made quite an impression on studio exec’s this past April with a short for the electronics company Phillips called The Gift. The short is a sci-fi oriented piece set in Moscow that is filled with robots and a city chase and might end up a getting its own feature film development deal shortly.

The remake of Logan’s Run has been in development hell since the mid 90’s.  A big push came in 2004, when Bryan Singer had been attached to the film. Singer even went as far as to shoot pre-visualiztion before he left to make Superman Returns.  Since then director Robert Schwentke (Flightplan), James McTiegue and Joseph Kosinski were attached, but Kosinski has since been busy with TRON: Legacy.

According to Deadline, Rinsch’s pitch for the film more closely resembles the 1967 novel by William F Nolan and George Clayton Johnson.  In the novel,  a domed city protects the survivors of a 23rd century holocaust.  They are subjected a re-birthing ceremony called “Carousel” at the age of 21, to control overcrowding in the only place on earth they believe is inhabitable. In the original film, that starred Michael York and Jenny Agutter, the age of “Carousel” was 30.  Logan 5 is a “Sandman” whose job it is to terminate “Runners”, anyone who rejects Carousel and tries to escape the city and live outside its bubble. Logan is recruited to pose as a runner, to follow another who has escaped the city, only to find there is a world outside worth saving. In turn, he is pursued by another Sandman and former friend.

At this point there is no word on release date or casting and Warner Brothers still must hire a writer to pen the new script.  Stay tuned for any news as it develops.