Those who grew up on 1980s movies (and those who are discovering them now) probably know the joys of The Last Starfighter. Screenwriter Gary Whitta (who has worked on films such as The Book Of Eli and Rogue One), has been developing a sequel to the sci-fi adventure for a few years alongside original writer Jonathan Betuel. Whitta took to Twitter to show off a reel of concept footage for what is currently known as The Last Starfighters.
1984's original film starred Lance Guest as Alex Rogan, who lives in a trailer court with his mother and is derided for pouring money and time int an arcade game called The Last Starfighter. But when he defeats the game, he learns he's been secretly recruited to help defend the galaxy from invasion, using the piloting skills he honed playing the game. Though he turns down the offer, he's soon being hunted on Earth by enemy agents and when he finally steps up to his piloting destiny, he learns he's one of the last remaining hopes...
Whitta and Betuel have, from the looks of the reel, cooked up a sequel that sees a grown Alex drawn back into the conflict following an assassination attempt on Earth. It's certainly an intriguing way for the story to go and looks promising, with art by Matt Allsopp and music by Chris Tilton, riffing on Craig Safan's original themes. Rights issues have thus far held up development, but Whitta seems hopeful that this can still happen.