He'll always have a place in the fanboy's heart, thanks to writing The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi and Raiders of the Lost Ark, that even Dreamcatcher can't erode. Now Lawrence Kasdan, after years of writing and directing mostly small, sober character studies with barely a duel or whip-crack in sight, is returning to a fantasy world. Yes, he'll will be writing the script for a remake of 1981's cult classic Clash of the Titans.
Based on a Greek myth, the story follows the adventures of superhuman hero Perseus and his attempts to save his ladylove Andromeda from the dreaded Kraken. Unfortunately for him, the only thing that can save her is the head of the equally dreaded Gorgon Medusa, and to get that he'll need the help of winged horse Perseus - not to mention a chorus of Greek gods and goddesses and assorted monstrous obstacles.
The original film starred Harry Hamlin (him from LA Law) and his enormous hair as Perseus, with Laurence Olivier thinking of the pay cheque as his dad Zeus and Ursula Andress vamping it up as Aphrodite. Despite the valiant efforts of its thesps, however, it's best remembered, and certainly best loved, for Ray Harryhausen's fantastic stop-motion effects work.
The remake doesn't have a director yet, or a cast, but does have a previous draft of the script by writer Travis Beacham, of the upcoming Dog Days of Summer and Killing on Carnival Row. Kasdan, meanwhile, has most recently executive-produced his son Jake's latest film, In The Land Of Women, out in the States this Friday, because the family that makes films together, stays together.
Kasdan is also scheduled to write, direct and produce The Risk Pool with Tom Hanks next year. Let's hope that, together with Titans, that it represents a return to form for him after 2003's lacklustre Stephen King adaptation.