Last July, it was announced that Johnny Depp had added yet another potential project based on a classic series, signing on to develop a new film from **The Night Stalker **with Disney. Now the project has a director, in the shape of Shaun Of The Dead and** Scott Pilgrim** man Edgar Wright.
Depp, working with Infinitum Nihil producing partner Christi Bembrowski, is planning to live out another of his childhood fantasies, taking over the role of tabloid reporter Carl Kolchak, as made famous by Darren McGavin in the set of TV movies and eventual spin-off series back in the 1970s.
Kolchak’s nose for a story always saw him sniffing up some very dangerous trees, with his investigations leading to run-ins with werewolves, vampires, zombies, aliens and other supernatural beasties. It’s no surprise that X-Files creator Chris Carter always cited the character as one of his major influences and scored Gavin to star in a couple of episodes of that show. The actor also cropped up in a cameo standing at a reporter’s desk in the short-lived 2005 remake of the TV show.
Now Depp is looking to play Kolchak, and Wright is aboard to help oversee the film from the very start. Since there’s no writer attached yet, we can assume that this one won’t be happening immediately.
Both Depp and his new directing pal are busy men, with the actor involved in numerous films as both star and producer and Wright boasting a few gestating projects of his own, including Ant Man for Disney/Marvel and, we hope, writing The World’s End with Simon Pegg.
Depp will next be seen in Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows, which will spook us all on May 11.