For a lot of people in the early '90s, The Rocketeer may have been the first film they saw in a cinema.
Joe Johnston's rip-roaring adventure about a young pilot who becomes a crime-fighting, Nazi-battling hero with a jetpack didn't exactly set the world on fire during its initial run, but it's maintained a cult status with its fans who warmed to its earnest charms. A report by THR has it that Disney has been mulling over a reboot of The Rocketeer for a number of years, but felt that it might overlap with Iron Man and other properties in the mix.
As it goes, the Rocketeer would in fact be less of a reboot and closer to a sequel. The new story would be set several years after the original and see a young African-American woman take on the role of The Rocketeer and battle a corrupt scientist who wants to sell his jetpack technology to the Russians and turn the tide of the Cold War against America.
No director has been officially selected, however Jon Favreau is lurking in the background as one of the reboot / sequel's producers whilst the script will be handled by Max Winkler and Matt Spicer, both of whom worked on TV's Brooklyn Nine-Nine and New Girl.
So, thoughts? To be honest, we absolutely loved The Rocketeer when it first came out and it's the right time for a sequel. Provided they get the right director and match it with the same unironic, it could be really something.
What do you think? Let us know in the comments!
Via THR
