As a cinephile with decades of movie-watching under my belt, I can’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia and curiosity when it comes to the long-awaited Sgt. Rock movie. From Arnold Schwarzenegger’s initial foray in the late ’80s to Bruce Willis’s near-miss in the 2000s, this character has had quite a journey – one that mirrors the winding roads of many a Hollywood production.
Fans of comic books were taken aback when they heard that DC Studios is working on a movie about Sgt. Rock, directed by Luca Guadagnino and featuring Daniel Craig. This is surprising because so far, the DC Universe hasn’t announced any projects involving well-known characters like Wonder Woman, Aquaman, or The Flash. However, it could be appropriate for Sgt. Rock to become part of the DCU, as the character has been scarcely seen on the big screen for nearly four decades.
First Wave: The Schwarzenegger Era
In the late 1980s, following the triumph of the movie “Predator,” production powerhouse Joel Silver made a notable effort to adapt Sgt. Rock for the big screen. Post-“Predator,” he gathered an accomplished creative crew that counted Arnold Schwarzenegger and director John McTiernan among its members. Their role was to replicate the success of the 1987 blockbuster by bringing Sgt. Rock’s story to life on the big screen.
Silver had been fascinated with Sgt. Rock for a long time, leading to Shane Black carrying a comic book featuring the character during the credits of Predator. Given the massive success of Schwarzenegger’s alien-hunting movie, it was logical that he would wager heavily on translating DC’s beloved military figure into live-action cinema.
In 1987, David Webb Peoples (known for “Blade Runner”) penned a script for a Sgt. Rock movie that caught Quentin Tarantino’s eye. A year later, Steven E. de Souza (famous for Die Hard) completed his own version of the script. Both scripts were developed around an initial idea where Sgt. Rock had a German father, enhancing the character’s emotional depth and showcasing Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Austrian roots. Remarkably, the project’s most promising phase fell apart due to an unforeseen circumstance: the significant participation of Monty Python’s John Cleese.
According to Nick de Semlyan’s book “The Last Action Heroes,” director McTiernan strongly advocated for casting Monty Python star John Cleese as Sgt. Rock, a crucial supporting role, believing he was vital for the film’s success. The plan was to have Cleese play a humorous character who would be protected by Schwarzenegger and balance his tough persona. However, after meeting with the creative team, Cleese dismissed them as “rough American action-movie makers.” McTiernan later said that had Cleese seen their work on “Die Hard,” he might have agreed to join, but his rejection effectively halted progress, resulting in Schwarzenegger leaving the project. Instead of Sgt. Rock, Schwarzenegger went on to star in 1990’s “Total Recall” that year.
Silver persisted with his cherished project and continued to develop different script versions throughout the years. John Milius, famed for “Apocalypse Now” and “Conan the Barbarian”, infused his unique style into “Sgt. Rock” in 1993. Meanwhile, Brian Helgeland’s 1996 draft aimed to update the character for today’s viewers. However, it wasn’t until the early 2000s that “Sgt. Rock” seemed poised to materialize as a production.
Second Wave: Willis & Ritchie
Following Arnold Schwarzenegger’s exit, the Sgt. Rock movie embarked on a new stage in the late 2000s, with Bruce Willis as a potential main character and Guy Ritchie set to direct. This version advanced further than any prior attempt, having completed extensive pre-production work and scouting locations in Eastern Europe. David Gambino, Vice President of Silver Pictures, was hopeful about the movie in April 2007, noting a “fantastic screenplay.” Unfortunately, this promising progress encountered an obstacle when Ritchie decided to focus on directing Sherlock Holmes with Robert Downey Jr., resulting in Willis’s departure.
In 2010, Silver announced that the revamped film would take on a futuristic theme, shifting the character away from its original World War II setting. For a short while, Francis Lawrence (known for “Constantine”) took over as director, and Chad St. John (who wrote “Replicas”) drafted a new script. However, this version of the movie also struggled to find support.
Over time, the luster of Sgt. Rock seemed to dwindle, casting doubt on the prospect of a grand cinematic portrayal. However, in 2019, DC hinted at their persistence in adapting this character with “DC Showcase: Sgt. Rock,” a compact 14-minute animated short that accompanied the DVD release of “Batman: Hush.” As part of the DC Showcase initiative, this short aimed to introduce lesser-known characters to the audience, gauging public response for potential future projects. Regrettably, even with Karl Urban lending his voice to Sgt. Rock in this incarnation, the restricted release strategy failed to rekindle the character’s spark. As a movie critic, I can only hope that DC continues to explore options for bringing this iconic figure back into the spotlight.
The Sgt. Rock Movie Can Finally Be Made as Part of the DCU
With Craig and Guadagnino involved, this latest version marks a substantial shift from past endeavors. Co-writer of their projects “Challengers” and “Queer,” Justin Kuritzkes, is said to have penned the script, which sources claim is in a solid state. As for the movie’s storyline, details remain scarce at this point.
It’s intriguing that the announcement timing hints at something significant. With James Gunn recently disclosing several R-rated DC projects in development, it’s plausible that Sgt. Rock could be part of this collection. Moreover, the upcoming series, Creature Commandos, is set to unveil the ties between the DC Universe and Easy Company, Sgt. Rock’s military unit. Given that Creature Commandos is a mature and violent TV show, it seems logical that the Sgt. Rock movie could carry an R rating as well.
On Thursdays, 5th of December, you’ll get a first look at “Creature Commandos” – only on Max! Keep tuned for updates regarding the upcoming “Sgt. Rock” film.
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2024-11-24 00:10