Before the pandemic, it was announced that “The Saint” was getting a reboot with Dexter Fletcher attached to direct and Chris Pine set to star. The film was stalled, and in 2021, both of those guys left and actor Regé-Jean Page came aboard to star. Since then, we haven’t really gotten much news about it. But more than two years after Page’s first involvement, we finally have a director for the upcoming action film.
According to Deadline, Doug Liman is set to direct “The Saint,” a reimagining of the classic novel series (which was itself turned into a TV series in the ‘60s and a film in the ‘90s). In the film, Page will play Simon Templar, aka the Saint, a master thief who is hired to rob from the uber rich in massive globetrotting adventures. Think of it as Robin Hood meets James Bond.
Liman is no stranger to action films. He’s probably best known for “The Bourne Identity,” but he’s also the filmmaker behind features such as “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” and “Edge of Tomorrow.” His next film is a remake of the classic ‘80s action film, “Roadhouse,” which stars Jake Gyllenhaal. And at some point, he’s supposedly going to make a film in literal space with Tom Cruise.
Even with a star and a director both attached, it’s unclear when we might see “The Saint” enter production. That said, it does appear that things are moving forward for now, so we’ll just have to wait and see. Given how long this has been in development, anything can happen.
Previously brought to life as a TV series starring a pre-Bond Roger Moore and 1997 film lead by Val Kilmer, Leslie Charteris' The Saint has been in development as a new big screen version for a while now, with Chris Pine starring and Dexter Fletcher directing. But, as so many things are wont to to in Hollywood, the film has moved on since then. Bridgerton's Regé-Jean Page, who made the successful leap to movies with The Gray Man and particularly Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, is on board to play main character Simon Templar and today Deadline brings word that Doug Liman is attached to direct the film for Paramount.
Charteris' character is a Robin Hood-style thief and criminal for hire takes down dodgy politicians and other nefarious wrongdoers. For the new film, the plan is to overhaul the concept and apply a fresh spin, but what that entails is being kept quiet for now.
Playwright, actor and current artistic director of The Young Vic Kwame Kwei-Armah wrote the first draft(s) of the script, with Rory Haines and Sohrab Noshirvani now taking over. The film was previously in development with Chris Pine starring and Dexter Fletcher directing.
Liman, of course, has plenty of action experience thanks to his directed the likes of Edge Of Tomorrow and several Bourne movies. But let's wait and see whether the film makes it through development this time.
