Robert Culp Tagged Articles at Cinematical

For the last 28 years, William Katt has been The Greatest American Hero. Ralph Hinkley was just trying to go about his business and be a good teacher, but an alien suit left to help rid the Earth of baddies turned him into a bumbling hero. Hinkley could have been cool and slick in that red suit, but that whole lack of an instruction manual made such hopes impossible.

There have been murmurings before about a new feature film -- 2008 was filled with them -- but they haven't gone anywhere. And now one fan's dream makes me wish they would. In a talk with IFC, Nathan Fillion said there was one superhero film he thinks he can handle, a redo of GAH. In his mind: "With the technology we have available today for effects, I'd say it's largely the same idea, the same story, but the suit would be able to change and morph into whatever it is you needed him to do. So it could become armor, a scuba suit -- you could do that stuff." And while he isn't actively making it at this point, he's met both Katt and Robert Culp on the set of Castle, and the show's stunt coordinator is the guy who did Katt's stunts on the '80s show. So, as Fillion says, "I've got my all my fingers in the right pots."

I have to say: I love the idea. Fillion knows how to be both earnest and goofy. He's charming and likable, and could pull off a new Hinkley without being a bleak caricature or completely re-imagining the character. (And imagine what that suit would do without a manual!) If anyone is going to make this, they should give him the reigns. But one question remains: Who would play Culp's Bill Maxwell? Without the right man, a remake would be pointless.

For me, The Greatest American Hero was maybe one of the best things about TV in the '80s. But, Hollywood can never leave well enough alone and last February the news first hit that a feature film version was in the works. Rumor had it that Owen Wilson was at the top of the list to don the man perm and 'red jammies,' but it was not to be. Moviehole has now confirmed that Wilson will not star in the update, but the film is still moving full steam ahead. According to sources, "They're casting it for now - they're open to an unknown" (which is switch from the original notice's call for 'big names').

Hero first premiered on ABC in 1981 and the story focused on a young teacher (William Katt) who has been given superhuman abilities thanks to an alien suit. Along with an FBI agent named Bill Maxwell (Robert Culp), the two kept busy for the next three seasons saving the world. According to Moviehole, the feature film will be making a departure from the original series, but it will still be a comedy at heart. The villains will still be your typical superhero baddies, but there will also be some other adversaries in the form of teachers at the school.

Stephen Herek is set to direct (Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure) the script from Chris Matheson and Ryan Rowe (Charlie's Angels). There is no definite timeline so far, but The Greatest American Hero should arrive in theaters sometime in 2009.