Colossus Joins The Remake Parade

VARIETY: Grazer to produce 'Colossus'
Universal, Imagine to remake sci-fi saga
By MICHAEL FLEMING
Wed., Apr. 18, 2007, 7:30pm PT

Universal and Imagine Entertainment will remake the 1970 sci-fi saga "Colossus: The Forbin Project" as a potential directing vehicle for Ron Howard. Brian Grazer will produce.

Jason Rothenberg has been set to write the screenplay for a pic to be called "Colossus."

Based on a book by D.F. Jones, the original film was a forerunner of movies like "Terminator," introducing the idea of a government-built computer that becomes sentient and then takes control.

Rothenberg will use the original’s premise as a springboard and will incorporate two subsequent "Colossus" novels written by Jones to hatch a much broader film premise.

After a brainiac designs a supercomputer for the government as a means of protection, the computer decides itself that the most effective way it can act as protector is to assume complete control. The WMA-repped Rothenberg wrote the original draft of "The Sparrow," which has Brad Pitt attached at Warner Bros., and he adapted the graphic novel "Proximity Effect" at Universal.

Dave Collins, who was integral in tying up the rights to the series, will be exec producer.

Howard is next directing "Frost/Nixon" and then will tackle the Akiva Goldsman-scripted "Da Vinci Code" follow-up that’s based on the Dan Brown novel "Angels and Demons."