HERO WORSHIP
Producers Debra Hill and Lynda Obst move from teen comedy (“Adventures in Babysitting”) to fantasy with their next project for Paramount--”Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.,” based on the 1960s Marvel Comics character.
He’s not your typical caped or masked superhero, nor even Bondian. The tough, one-eyed S.H.I.E.L.D. agent (for Supreme Headquarters International Espionage Law-enforcement Division) favors cigars and a blood-stained trenchcoat. “He’s just down and dirty, a world-weary existential pop hero,” says Obst. “He wouldn’t know what a martini was if he saw one.”
Struck by what they call the universal appeal of the character, Obst and Hill bought the rights from Marvel over a year ago. Says Obst hopefully, “Men will want to be (Fury) and women will want to be with him.”
No director or stars set. Screenwriter Gregory Pruss has just turned in the latest draft, now awaiting Paramount’s verdict.
The biggest entertainment stories
Get our big stories about Hollywood, film, television, music, arts, culture and more right in your inbox as soon as they publish.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
