Warner Bros. Snagging 'Red Star' Comic for Producer Neal Moritz (Exclusive)

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Neal Mortiz

Warner Bros. is in negotiations to pick up the Soviet-themed sci-fi fantasy comic book series The Red Star, which had been put into turnaround by Universal.

Neal Moritz and his Original Films banner are attached to produce as is Jason Netter of comic-centric shingle Kickstart Productions.

The lavish comic, created by Christian Gossett, first appeared in 1999 and is set in an alternate USSR where futuristic technology and magical elements co-exist. The main character is a soldier in the Red Fleet and his wife, who become keys to defeating a former brutal ruler and his minions.

While at Universal, the project was being developed as a vehicle for Timur Bekmambetov, with Matthew Sand penning a script and Mark Platt producing.

The Warners deal is just getting underway and at this stage has no creative attachments.

Moritz, who is coming off the success of Fast Five, is in production on the Columbia’s remake of Total Recall and New Line’s Jack the Giant Killer. His Ryan Reynolds-Jason Bateman comedy The Change-Up opens Aug. 5.

Netter was a producer on the 2007 Angelina Jolie comic book movie Wanted. He is developing adaptations of Preacher, set up at Columbia with D.J. Caruso attached to direct, and The Boys, based on the Garth Ennis comic.

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