Keanu plays Klaatu

By John Freeman on August 30, 2007

The classic 1951 SF film The Day the Earth Stood Still is to be remade, with Keanu Reeves playing noble alien Klaatu.

Variety reports that Michael Rennie’s distinct performance in the original is so revered that finding the right actor to take the role has been one of the chief reasons the 20th Century Fox remake has been in development for so long.

Production will most likely start in late autumn or early 2008, directed by Scott (The Exorcism of Emily Rose) Derrickson with a script from David (The Last Castle) Scarpa. He has reworked the original screenplay, updating the Cold War premise which sees Klaatu arriving on Earth with an indestructible android with a warning that if Earth does not stop its warring, the intergalactic planets will be forced to destroy the planet.

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.