(The Man of Bronze is Homophobic Turtle’s favorite hero. Because, uh, he’s so good at gettin’ chicks.)

Shane Black is rightly worshipped by those slightly less dorky than Joss Whedon fans for writing a slew of memorable action flicks in the 80s and directing Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (also my personal motto).  The latest is that he’s attached to direct and co-write Doc Savage, based on some sort of shirtless pulp hero from the 30s.  Says Wikipedia:

Doc Savage’s real name was Clark Savage, Jr.. He was a physician, surgeon, scientist, adventurer, inventor, explorer, researcher, and, as revealed in The Polar Treasure, a musician. A team of scientists assembled by his father deliberately trained his mind and body to near-superhuman abilities almost from birth, giving him great strength and endurance, a photographic memory, a mastery of the martial arts, and vast knowledge of the sciences. Doc is also a master of disguise and an excellent imitator of voices. “He rights wrongs and punishes evildoers.” Dent described the hero as a mix of Sherlock Holmes’ deductive abilities, Tarzan’s outstanding physical abilities, Craig Kennedy’s scientific education, and Abraham Lincoln’s goodness. Dent described Doc Savage as manifesting “Christliness.”

Which is all an elaborate way of saying “Bruce Greenwood.”

Hell yes.  In Cold Warrior, his second project as a director, Lethal Weapon/Last Boy Scout writer Shane Black is set to reteam with Mel Gibson.

Black, directing his second movie after 2005′s “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang,” is tackling a tale in which a Cold War spy (Gibson) comes out of retirement to confront a domestic terrorism threat from Russia by joining with a younger agent. Charles Mondry wrote the script.  The dealmaking is in the early stages, but it does further Gibson’s plan to get back in front of the cameras. [THR]

I love it, a buddy cop flick, only this time (*record scratch*), Mel plays the veteran.  I just hope they get someone really hip for the younger agent.  Someone like Zac Efron.  Yes, I can see it now… (*dream sequence music*)…

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Shane Black is rightfully known as the last great pulp action-comedy writer of the late 80s and early 90s.  His credits include Lethal Weapon, Monster Squad, Last Action Hero, The Long Kiss Goodnight, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (which he also directed), and my favorite, The Last Boy Scout.  The latest news is that he’s writing and possibly directing the film adaptation of Doc Savage as a 1930s period piece.  I don’t know what Doc Savage is, but I do know Wikipedia.

Doc Savage’s real name was Clark Savage, Jr.. He was a physician, surgeon, scientist, adventurer, inventor, explorer, researcher, and, as revealed in The Devil Genghis, a musician. A team of scientists assembled by his father deliberately trained his mind and body to near-superhuman abilities almost from birth, giving him great strength and endurance, a photographic memory, a mastery of the martial arts, and vast knowledge of the sciences. Doc is also a master of disguise and an excellent imitator of voices. “He rights wrongs and punishes evildoers.” Dent described the hero as a mix of Sherlock Holmes’ deductive abilities, Tarzan’s outstanding physical abilities, Craig Kennedy’s scientific education, and Abraham Lincoln’s goodness. Main writer Lester Dent described Doc Savage as manifesting “Christliness.”

So basically he’s like Neo, Wolverine, Jason Statham, Jesus Christ, and the sound-effects guy from Police Academy all rolled into one.  I think there’s only one guy who can play this character and his name is Vin Diesel.  He’s all of those things, plus he lives his life a quarter mile at a time.

[via AICN and Collider]

Richard Donner directed Mel Gibson in all four Lethal Weapon movies, as well as Conspiracy Theory and Maverick. Of the oft-rumored Lethal Weapon 5, Donner tells the LA Times it’s not going to happen because Mel doesn’t want it to.

“Mel turned it down,” Donner said. “I would like to think that Mel turned it down because I wasn’t involved. Knowing Mel, I would like to think that. Would that be the kind of thing he does? It sure would be.”

Problem was, Donner had his own plans for a sequel based on a story by him and the writer of Lethal Weapon 4, but Warners was more interested in a spec idea from Shane Black, who’d taken his script to Joel Silver.

The news of the Silver and Black project stirred press coverage and considerable blogosphere interest this summer, especially after actor Columbus Short said he was up for a supporting role and that the project was being fast-tracked. It was all frustrating for odd-man-out Donner… who had a falling out with Silver a few years ago, and didn’t enjoy being excluded from a franchise that he considers his signature work.
“Joel Silver tried to ace me out of it. He tried to put it together but made sure he didn’t do it until my contract was up. You know, it’s typical of the man. A guy who wasn’t even around at the beginning when we started on the first one. He came in late.”

If Richard Donner is to be believed, a fifth Lethal Weapon requires the approval of Mel Gibson, and Mel Gibson is loyal to Donner. Further complicating sequel plans, Gibson believes pigeons are the Jews of the sky.

When Shane Black was announced as the director of Cold Warrior the other day, it led many to believe the rumored Lethal Weapon 5 was off.  But now EW reports that Black is still interested in it and is waiting on the okay from Mel Gibson.

Truth is, the delay has nothing to do with Black, who wrote the first Lethal script and has penned a long treatment for a fifth iteration. (In fact, he plans to take over the director’s reins from Richard Donner.) Lethal number 5 still hinges on Mel Gibson, who’s currenlty filming Edge of Darkness in Boston. Longtime Lethal producer Joel Silver has been trying to nail down approval from Gibson about Black’s approach, which includes introducing a pair of young NYPD cops. [EW]

Hmm, I think I see the problem here. The guy trying to talk Mel Gibson into this is named Joel Silver.   He just wants to chat, but every time he calls, Mel’s convinced he’s trying to start a war.  Anyway, it’s probably just as well.  You know the new cops would just be Nick Cannon and some squinty white guy like Josh Hartnet or Taters Channing or whatever his name is.