A long time ago – well, 35 years – in a place not quite so far away, an art director named Roger Christian, who had won an Oscar for his work on Star Wars, was asked by that film’s director, George Lucas, to make a short film to accompany The Empire Strikes Back. The result, Black Angel had a short life in cinemas and was presumed lost until recently, but now Christian is turning it into a full-length feature with genre stalwarts Rutger Hauer and John Rhys-Davies, at the head of the cast{
Despite the short lingering in limbo until it was discovered in Universal’s extensive archives in 2013, it has been something of a cult sensation, and is cited as an influence on other films including John Boorman’s Excalibur.
Christian, who in the intervening years became a director on the likes of Nostradamus, Masterminds and (whisper it) Battlefield Earth, is returning to write and direct the full-length adaptation, which will see a knight on a quest to fight the titular Black Angel, commander of the Demon King’s forces. With sorcerer Myrddin and Princess Kyna at his side, together they’ll have to stop the darkness engulfing the land. With $15 million in financing already secure, Christian is also looking to raise $100,000 through crowd funding to bolster the budget and allow people to be involved. “It’s my passion project, has been for 35-36 years,” Christian tells The Hollywood Reporter. “I guess ‘patience is a virtue’ is a true saying." He’s pleased with the initial $15 million, too. “I can make a huge epic film with that,” he says. “I’m going down and dirty, I want the audience to smell the blood and the sweat and the tears. I’ll be doing fights in mud and rain.”
And why crowd funding? “It may seem a small amount, but it all helps, and I think it’s very important to build you fan base, and that’s what it does.” If you do feel like adding to the film’s pot, the Indiegogo page is here. And should you want to watch the original shot? You’re in luck – take a look below.