Warner Bros. Developing a New Version of 1950s Sci-fi Classic ‘Forbidden Planet’

One of all time classics of the science fiction genre, 1956’s Forbidden Planet is getting a modern day update from Warner Bros., Deadline has exclusively reported this week.

Brian K. Vaughan (Y: The Last Man) is writing the screenplay, with Emma Watts producing.

Deadline’s report details, “For its forward-thinking themes, the film is considered a north star for science fiction writing and cinema that came after it. It has never had a big-screen remake — though James Cameron reportedly once considered it — partly because the rights were complicated and difficult to untangle.

“The studio and Watts finally got that major obstacle out of the way,” Deadline continues. “The former studio chief Watts has leaned into producing the big ambitious tentpoles she shepherded from the executive suites, and this has the makings to be one of those.”

In the original movie from director Fred M. Wilcox, “A starship crew in the 23rd century goes to investigate the silence of a distant planet’s colony, only to find just two survivors, a powerful robot, and the deadly secret of a lost civilization.” Walter Pidgeon, Anne Francis, Richard Anderson and Leslie Nielsen starred in the 1956 movie, which was produced by MGM.

Wikipedia reminds, “Forbidden Planet pioneered several aspects of science fiction cinema. It was the first science fiction film to depict humans traveling in a man-made faster-than-light starship. It was also the first to be set entirely on a planet orbiting another star, far away from Earth and the Solar System.”

Additionally, the film’s Wikipedia page notes, “The Robby the Robot character is one of the first film robots that was more than just a mechanical “tin can” on legs; Robby displays a distinct personality and is an integral supporting character in the film.”