Sony Pictures Entertainment announced today Shane Black will direct the film adaptation of the popular adventure book series The Destroyer by Warren Murphy. Penning the screenplay are Jim Uhls (Fight Club) and James Mullaney; Mullaney co-authored and became the sole writer of “The Destroyer” until the series’ end in 2008. Charles Roven, Steven Chasman, and Andy Horwitz will produce. Michael De Luca and Lauren Abrahams will oversee for Sony Pictures Entertainment.
The Destroyer is based on the series of paperback novels in which Newark cop Remo Williams is framed, sentenced to death, then resurrected following a botched execution. The reason? To serve as enforcement arm for CURE, a top-secret, extra-Constitutional arm of the U.S. government. Along with a seemingly ageless – and often hilarious – Asian assassin known only as Chiun, Williams sets out to “clean up” and take out those who oppose America’s interests. The surprisingly-heartfelt stories combine edgy old-school suspense with Eastern mysticism to produce unique, rapid-fire capers full of slick banter, social satire, and sudden violence.
“Shane has been a fan of the original ‘Destroyer’ book series since its inception and he has an incredible vision for this film. Atlas couldn’t be more fortunate to be working with this talented director on this material,” said Charles Roven of Atlas Entertainment. “The narrative Jim and James have created is incredibly rich and while it’s a story rooted in adventure, it is also very much character driven.”
“‘The Destroyer’ is a two-fisted classic and deserves no less than the genius of Shane Black,” said Michael De Luca, president of Production for Columbia Pictures. “We couldn’t be more excited about his vision for this character.”
Shane Black is currently attached to co-write and direct Doc Savage, based on the hero of pulp novels, films, and comic books, for Columbia Pictures. Black most recently wrote and directed Iron Man 3, which became the fifth-highest grossing film of all time worldwide. He began his career in screenwriting, making his mark with Lethal Weapon and collaborating on its sequel. Black’s directorial debut came in 2005 with his critically acclaimed Kiss Kiss Bang Bang starring Robert Downey, Jr. and Val Kilmer.
