With warring magicians at the centre of Chris Nolan’s The Prestige, and Harry Potter taking on all comers, everyone wants their own take on marauding magical types.
New Line is getting into the act by grabbing the rights to a spec script titled Burt Dickenson, Most Powerful Magician On The Planet Earth by newcomer Chad Kultgen.
It’s a comedy about duelling wand-wavers in Las Vegas, focused on the title character a man who has lost his inner magic after accidentally killing his partner. He has little time to mourn – he needs to gather his mojo to fight his big rival, Xander Storm. Card tricks at dawn, then? It’s too early for a director or cast to be attached yet, but you can bet they’ll shave down that title a little by the time the film hits cinemas – even the biggest multiplex would have trouble fitting that full name on the marquee.