Shane Black to Direct Doc Savage

In news that will surely make Mark happy (as well as countless other Doc Savage fans), Variety is reporting the Columbia Pictures is dusting off the old property and preparing it for a triumphant return to the big screen. And it's got a director attached and everything! According to Variety, Shane Black has been tapped to direct the film about the Man of Bronze, based on a script by Anthony Bagarozzi and Chuck Mondry. "Doc Savage is an icon, a character with limitless possibilities," said Columbia co-president Matt Tolmach of the character, who is by turns a scientist, physician, adventurer, inventor, explorer and researcher. "We have had a great experience working with Neal to bring another classic character of the era, the Green Hornet, to a new generation of fans, and we think he and Shane make the ideal team to bring Doc Savage back to the bigscreen." Black has a short albeit action-packed resume. He did the screenplays for Lethal Weapon and Long Kiss Goodnight, as well as directing Robert Downey, Jr. in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (CRIMINALLY underrated if you ask me). Personally, I'm not up to date on my Doc Savage lore so I couldn't tell you how Black will do with the property. I can say those three movies above were decent films that I certainly don't mind watching repeatedly. Well, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is probably the only one I could watch repeatedly, but Black directed that so it's got to bode well for Doc Savage right? No timeline has been set for the film, and I don't even think Bagarozzi and Mondry have anything more than just a faint outline of a film in their mind. I'm sure it won't be the same as the first Doc Savage movie, Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze from 1975, although the title will most likely be similar if not the same. That movie featured Doc in the Fabulous Thirties, sucked into the mystery of his father disappearing in the wilds of South America and Savage contending with Captain Seas. I've just started the "rumor timer," so feel free to commence speculation about who could play a good Doc Savage (I'm going to say Chris Pine). Remember, the clock is ticking until they announce it!