Word has come down the wire via Deadline that WONDER WOMAN 1984 actor Chris Pine is in final negotiations to star in Paramount Pictures' remake of THE SAINT, which has ROCKETMAN and EDDIE THE EAGLE director Dexter Fletcher in line to direct.
Based on the 1920s novel series written by Leslie Charteris, the story revolves around Simon Templar (a.k.a. The Saint), a Nathan Drake-like adventurer who's willing to travel the globe if it means that he gets to steal something cool and incredibly valuable. Seth Grahame-Smith will pen the script for Fletcher's version, which is set to be produced by Lorenzo Di Bonaventura, Brad Krevoy and the late Robert Evans, posthumously.
Previously, The Saint was presented as a radio drama before being transformed into a 1960s TV series starring Roger Moore as the charismatic adventurer. In 1997, director Phillip Noyce brought Charteris' classic character to the big screen, with Val Kilmer in the starring role. While Noyce's film only managed a global box office take of $118 million, the film has since gone on to become a cult classic among cinephiles who delight in a bit of espionage and derring-do.
Details regarding how Fletcher plans to approach the Simon Templar character are unknown at this time, but we'll be sure to clue you in as soon as we have more information.