On Monday, Variety ran an article talking about how Warren Beatty was suing Tribune Co. claiming he still has film rights to “Dick Tracy” and has plans for a second Dick Tracy film, which is apparently in the works.
Then today a press release comes across the wire stating that Bobby Newmyer and Scott Strauss’ Outlaw Productions and Lorenzo di Bonaventura are teaming with Tribune Media Services to bring Dick Tracy to the small screen.
So which one is it? Big screen or small screen? Either way it seems the other man in the yellow hat will be back for our entertainment.
Variety reports Beatty, who starred in and directed the 1990 film Dick Tracy, based on the classic comicstrip, is seeking a ruling that he still owns film and other rights, plus $30 million in damages, while Outlaw Productions and Lorenzo di Bonaventura recently secured Dick Tracy rights from Tribune Media Services, and will attach a writer over the next month. The plan is to pitch a modern take on the classic crime-fighting hero to networks this summer.
For those of you unfamiliar with Mr. Tracy, it is a tale based on Chester Gould’s comicstrip, which started in 1937, telling the tales of good guys versus bad guys, while showcasing the latest criminology techniques and old-fashioned values. Tracy’s knack for originality earned him a reputation as the quintessential detective who kept the streets safe. Through the years, Dick Tracy had numerous partners and sent thousands of rogues to the slammer (and many to their graves), but there was always more work to be done. The strip’s innovative technology was popular, but it was the strange, weird and out-of-this-world villains (with their fun names and hideous faces) that gave the strip its huge fan base.
“Dick Tracy is a top international icon and has been a part of our company for 75 years, so we’re very careful who we partner with on licensing,” said Stephen Tippie, TMS Vice President, Marketing and Licensing. “We’re extremely excited to be able to work with a team led by Lorenzo di Bonaventura, Bobby Newmyer, and Scott Strauss to shape the Dick Tracy of the 21st Century. Lorenzo, Bobby, and Scott bring a very high level of creativity and a strong track record of creating both critically and financially successful projects.”
Strauss commented, “Dick Tracy is the original cop, whose name and image are synonymous with law and order. Also, Tracy’s an edgy character, who believes the ends justify the means. We know the spirit of this character, as well as timeless and dynamic villains like Big Boy Caprice, Breathless Mahoney, Flattop, The Brow, and Pruneface, will translate seamlessly into a modern take for a popular television show.”
I am still unsure as to which way this whole thing is going to go, but something is certainly on the horizon, stay tuned.
