Share this @internewscast.com
“Flash! A-ah! Savior of the universe!” Those iconic Queen lyrics evoke nostalgia for fans of the 1980 cult classic “Flash Gordon.” The film, featuring Sam J. Jones as the heroic Flash and Max von Sydow as the villainous Ming the Merciless, has never seen a reboot, despite its enduring popularity. However, this almost changed in the 2010s.
Universal Pictures
Renowned filmmaker Steven E. de Souza, known for his work on hits like “Die Hard,” “Street Fighter,” and “Beverly Hills Cop,” revealed to Den of Geek that he penned a script for a “Flash Gordon” reboot back in the ’90s. The script underwent numerous iterations over the years but was revisited later on. The project hit a snag when “John Carter” was released. De Souza explained, “Anybody who opens that script will go, ‘This is just like ‘John Carter’!’ For better or for worse, there are a lot of similarities between ‘Flash Gordon’ and ‘John Carter.'”
“John Carter,” released in 2012 with Taylor Kitsch in the lead role, was Disney’s hopeful new franchise. Unfortunately, the film, which cost around $350 million to produce, only grossed about $284 million globally. This financial misstep likely discouraged studios from pursuing a similar project like “Flash Gordon.”
While a “Flash Gordon” reboot film remains a distant dream, the character did make a return to screens in a 2007 live-action TV series. Airing on Syfy for just one season, the show starred Canadian actor Eric Johnson, known from “Vikings,” as Flash, with John Ralston taking on the role of Ming.
Fans of “Smallville” might remember Johnson as Whitney Fordman, Clark Kent’s early rival for Lana Lang’s affections. Despite Johnson’s appeal, the “Flash Gordon” TV series struggled to capture the original film’s vibrant energy. Critically, it was less than a hit, holding a mere 15% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, though audiences were somewhat more forgiving with a 60% score.
There was a Flash Gordon reboot on TV
Syfy
In the grand scheme, few would rank the 2007 series above the original film. Nonetheless, Johnson’s career has flourished since then, proving there’s life beyond “Flash Gordon.”
“Smallville” fans who loved the show’s less-than-superheroic take on Clark Kent (Tom Welling) recognized Johnson at the time for portraying Whitney Fordman, the Joe College, all-American lad competing with Clark for Lana Lang during Season One. Unfortunately, Johnson’s charisma couldn’t save the joyless slog that was this latest “Flash Gordon.” Considering how vibrant and over the top the 1980 “Flash Gordon” movie had been, this series lacked the same fun factor and enjoyability. On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a pitiful 15% critical approval rating, though the audience score is considerably higher at 60%.
Having said that, it’s unlikely that anyone lists the 2007 “Flash Gordon” series above the movie (if they do, make sure they aren’t trolling you intentionally). At least Johnson went on to bigger and better things in his future.
