Chris Pine in line to play Simon Templar in reboot of 'The Saint'
Chris Pine is lining up to be the new Simon Templar in the rebooted movie version of The Saint, according to reports.
The Star Trek lead is current 'in negotiations' with producers at Paramount, with British helmsman Dexter Fletcher directing.
Seth Grahame-Smith, who penned Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, Pride, Prejudice and Zombies, The Lego Batman Movie and is working on the Beetlejuice sequel, is writing the script.
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It was also one of the final movie projects that iconic Hollywood producer Robert Evans was working on before he died last year.
The movie will pick up the source material of writer Leslie Charteris, who penned the Saint series of books from the late 1920s into the 1960s.
Templar is a Robin Hood-type figure, a globe-trotting anti-hero, a master of disguise and thief for hire, who famously leaves his stickman calling card at the scenes of his crimes.
He was most famously played on TV in the 60s by Roger Moore, a precursor to him being eventually cast as James Bond.
Latterly, Templar was played by Ian Ogilvy in Return of the Saint in the 70s.
It was then made into a movie in 1997, with Val Kilmer in the lead, opposite Elisabeth Shue.
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When the project might head into production is another question, however, with the coronavirus pandemic having shut down and delayed countless movies.
In addition, Fletcher, who directed Elton John biopic Rocketman and finished up Bohemian Rhapsody for Fox after Bryan Singer was fired, is already in line for another movie first.
He's also set to direct Renfield, a movie in Universal's reinvigorated 'monster' series, about Dracula's henchman.
