The remake of Flash Gordon is tearing ahead at breakneck speed it seems as Sony has just assigned two writers to the project months after obtaining the rights to the film.

The writers have already written Dracula Year Zero which Alex Proyas is about to direct, so it would suggest that there’s a little more here than a camp remake of a camp, but highly enjoyable, film.

The fact that Breck Eisner is also attached to direct also suggests that this Flash Gordon is going to be something stronger, and perhaps we’re seeing a return to the original stories rather than the film version we’ve seen to date.

Matt Sazama and Burk Sharpless are the two men assigned to writing duties, and yes they do sound like bizarre stage name. Interestingly Eisner is also on directing duties for Creature From the Black Lagoon, and a remake of The Crazies.

Something else that might back that up is the blurb that comes from The Hollywood Reporter which tells us that Flash Gordon focuses on a young polo player who is kidnapped and taken to the distant planet Mongo along with Dale Arden and Hans Zarkov (man, that name rings a bell in my head and the lines start rolling in…”there is no cause for alarm…alarm…alarm….”). On the planet they begin a series of adventures fighting the dictator of the planet called Ming the Merciless and banding together with various groups under his control to overthrow him.

Now you’ll recognise all of that, but the film version had him as an American football player, while in the original stories he was a polo player.

Well it’s a good sign that the film is going to get made, previously the film had hung around for years not being looked at, but perhaps the studio think it’s the right time for the remake. Is it the right time for the audience?