THE PHANTOM (circa 1988-91) (unproduced with Dolph)

[Mandrake]

Do any of you guys remember how heavily Dolph was linked to a movie version of Lee Falk's The Phantom for Gremlins/Innerspace director Joe Dante from around the time of Batman in late 89 untill around 1991-92. There were lots of reports about it in the pages of DC Comics & publications like Comics Scene. I remember thinking it would be a cool project for Dolph even though he'd already made 2 superhero movies with Masters & The Punisher. It's an interesting idea. Dolph has many ties to Australia & the film itself would have been an Australian production probably because The Phantom is considered the favourite superhero of Australia. It's been hard to find any info on it but when we eventually did get a Phantom movie Joe Dante was the producer: 1996's The Phantom starring Billy Zane. It's a project/idea that's always fascinated me.

[Jox]

Really not heavily at all...

There was only a TV magazine article that inferred to it late 1988 when THE PUNISHER was wrapping. And Dante wasn't attached to THE PHANTOM yet (he was working on another comic book film, PLASTIC MAN).

I asked Simon Wincer and he had never heard about it, and Dolph said to me: "I heard about it but I can’t remember much about it, I don’t think it was really serious."

[bomaz]

And coming from a Dolph fan and a Phantom fan (both the comic book and the movie), I'm glad Dolph didn't do it. I love my my little corny Phantom with Billy Zane.

[Mandrake]

No, I'm sorry, but In the UK Dolph was heavily linked to the project. It was in at least 2 newspapers, Starburst magazine & following an episode of Defenders of the Earth being shown on Children's BBC, the presenter Andy Peters actually announced there would be a Phantom movie starring Dolph. Ok it may not have been accurate but it got coverage over here

[Jox]

They likely had the same source as the Australian TV magazine. Do you have the Starburst clipping by any chance?

[Jamesflavell]

Here is the page from the Australian magazine - TV Week Nov 12th 1988

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