The Hollywood Reporter has announced that Universal are planning to reboot Timecop. Destined for another big screen outing, this time producers Mark Shmuger and Tom McNulty are developing the time travel actioner under the Global Produce label.
Based on a story by Dark Horse Comics, Timecop was originally introduced as a three part tale in an anthology. The 1994 adaptation was penned by the comic’s creators Mike Richardson and Mark Verheiden. Directed by Perer Hyams and starring Jean Claude Van Damme as the time enforcement officer, the flick follows the Timecop as he solves crime across the ages. Ron Silver played the dirty politician Van Damme brought down in that first adaptation.
THR stated that Universal are on the hunt for writers for what will be “a re-imagining of the concept.” News first broke back in 2010 about Universal’s desire for a new Timecop franchise. At that time the project had apparently been in development for FOUR years. Either the script was duff or the money dried up because this is the first official confirmation that’s surfaced since then.
Apparently Van Damme won’t be returning for the new ‘boot. It’d be a damn shame for him to not even have a cheeky cameo, but nothing official on that has been revealed. Expect a shortlist of hot young thangs who’d kick butt as Timecop to appear online in coming weeks.
If it does survive development and moves into production, could it be swallowed by the fate of other Timecop spin offs? The original film spawned a short lived TV series for ABC in 1997, which only ran for nine episodes. A direct-to-DVD sequel in 2003 was penned by Timecop creator Richardson but the Jason Scott Lee-starrer failed to excite audiences.
A Timecop reboot. Good idea, bad idea? Sound off, below.
