Dragons, eh? You just never quite know what you’re going to get. Some are noble, helpful, honourable warrior beasts that just want to protect their species or help mankind out in their hour of need. And then there are the fire-belching, gold-stealing, sneer-happy bastards who would like nothing more than to see us all reduced to a cinder. Thankfully, there are people who can fight the nasty ones, and Martin Helgeland has written a script about one such warrior, Slayer, which Legendary Pictures has bought.

Slayer has nothing to do with the ‘80s thrash metal band (though you can guarantee someone involved with the movie will consider getting them to pen or cover a tune for the soundtrack, which since they’re still touring and writing another album, might actually happen), but in fact focuses on a young doctor who discovers something about his father.

Dad, you see, was never what you’d describe as the most involved father on the planet. And then he goes and becomes even less involved in his son’s life by dying. It’s left to our hero to find out that his pop was actually a dragon slayer, and that he must take over the mantle, lest the scaly ones destroy everything that is good and pure, like puppies and tulips and stuff.

If Helgeland’s surname sounds familiar, that’s because he’s the son of LA Confidential director Brian. Martin is a student in LA and seeingly tapped out the spec script between classes. Helgeland senior is on board to executive produce the film, but that’s about it in terms of details so far. If it makes it through the dark, mysterious caves of development, expect to see Warner Bros. putting it out under its deal with Legendary.