The Pitch: Flash Gordon

When I started this Defenders of the Earth idea, I had now idea just how hard it would be to do even this much, I only had a good concept for Mandrake and Defenders of the Earth, which is part of the reason I actually began with Thunderbolts and Batman; I wasn't dedicating myself to writing four of these out of the gate. If it wasn't for my girlfriend's encyclopedic knowledge of actors, I'd have been sunk ages ago and I really hate giving up on a project once it's started, so here we are. A couple of things that need to be pointed out about my idea for this film, this is not a remake or a sequel to the 1980 film, but it will pay tribute at certain points, one of which will be the use of some of the Queen soundtrack and a couple of actors returning for cameos, but this will all be covered below.

Death to Ming! 

Flash Gordon 

In the distant Mongo planetary system, Sky City is oppressed by the foul Ming the Merciless, it's rightful king, Vultan is imprisoned and the evil computer intelligence, the Octobrain mines the floating island for it's precious Carvorite Ore. As the island dips closer and closer to the acidic sea with the Carvorite being removed, an unexpected trio arrives in an experimental spacecraft, Dale Arden, Hans Zarkov and Flash Gordon! 

Plot 

The film opens with Gordon and co crashing down on an outlying floating island of the Hawkmen planet, being taken prisoner and interrogated for information. In this sequence, they are implanted with translation devices, the basics of Mongo and the surrounding planets are explained and the heroes reveal how they got there. Rather than having Zarkov kidnap Flash and Dale, this adventure beings with Dale reporting on a new experimental spacecraft, with Flash there for the publicity. Mysterious waves from space cause the ship to launch prematurely with Dale, Flash and Zarkov inside. 
In the dungeons of Sky City, our heroes meet Vultan, who has been overthrown by factions within the Hawkmen loyal to Ming and imprisoned. In flashback, Vultan describes the arrival of Octobrain, how his people started falling under it's control and the fall of his government. As Vultan suspected that his people were being brainwashed, he could not fight back to a level where he may hurt his own kind. After his story, our heroes agree to help Vultan wrest back control and a daring escape is enacted. 
On their way to destroy the Octobrain, our heroes encounter Kala and a platoon of Ming's Soldiers, it is through her influence that the Hawkmen have revolted against their rightful King. A battle ensues, Kala is defeated, the Octobrain blasts off for Mongo and Flash, Dale and Zarkov are lauded as heroes. When it's discovered that a Mongo battle fleet is headed to Earth, Vultan agrees to return with Flash and Dale to stop the invasion. 

Tone 
As mentioned above, we're not going for the high camp of the 1980 version, but taking Flash Gordon too seriously would be a big mistake. The film that I keep going back to on this is Captain America - The First Avenger; there's enough pulp action to fit the source material, but with a decent broad appeal. There will ideally be moments of genuine drama among the the action, comedy and high-concept Science Fantasy 

Cast 

I struggled a bit with an idea as to who could play a convincing Flash Gordon, the role is much trickier than many would give it credit for. The character needs to be classically handsome, able to put on Grid Iron player level muscles and deliver inane dialogue whilst being utterly convincing. After seeing a recent entry in my Superhero Media however, I found Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

Yes, he's already been in Kick-Ass, Age of Ultron and Godzilla, but that's because he really does have the looks and acting chops for this kind of role. Taylor-Johnson is probably never going to be a major talent in his own right, but he's made for playing big, all-American heroes, even if he's British.

In most interpretations of Flash Gordon, Dale Arden tends to be heavily a damsel in distress, which kind of doesn't fly too well in this day and age. Still, I think someone who looks the part would be good, especially if the script lets them be more than pretty set-dressing. To keep in the tone of the film, I'm thinking a sassy, girl-Friday type with a withering sneer for all the masculine posturing in the film. Naturally, my mind turned to Anna Kendrik.

I really like Anna Kendrik, I watch everything with her in it I can, including her sketch comedy and the Pitch Perfect films. She's a capable actor with a fantastically sarcastic edge to her and great comedic timing, I can't think of anyone better to be the female lead in a franchise like Flash Gordon.

I mentioned bringing back some actors from the 1980 film, and I mostly had the one man in mind when I wrote that. The man. The Legend. Brian Motherfucking Blessed!

Did you know that Brian Blessed is not a man? He's a machine genetically engineered for shouting! Ok, seriously, if all you know of Blessed is his roles as Prince Vultan in Flash Gordon or the Space King in Doctor Who, go straight to YouTube and watch clips of his King Lear. Blessed is still acting, when not exploring, climbing Everest, saving lives, hunting Yetis and possibly sleeping with wolves; having him return as Vultan would be both a great fan moment, but also a really good cast. I reckon he'd do it too.

Kala works best when she's that unique combination of aloof, dangerous, sexy and absolutely terrifying. When I think of those qualities, one actor comes to mind, Tilda Swinton.

Not much I really add to this one, Swinton is a magnificent actor and brings it to every role she's in. The picture here is from Snowpiercer, a film I didn't enjoy, but which she was brilliant in.

Not wanting to sound like a YouTube animation reviewer, I still have to mention that voice actors, even the greats, never seem to get the credit they deserve. So if we're going to have a big robot computer thing that becomes a recurring villain for the franchise, we may as well use the opportunity to prop up a major talent. A talent like Billy West.

Again, what can I say about this guy that people haven't before? He's the second coming of Mel Blank and deserves praise from more than Futurama fans. Giving him a role as an evil computer instead of a screen actor would hopefully boost his profile and get him more major roles. Other fun options include Seth MacFarlane as the voice, dropping into Ted and Family Guy characters during a malfunction, or Timothy Dalton doing the role.

Crew 

I hinted at it above, but I really think the only director with a demonstrated track record for this kind of film is Joe Johnston.

With Captain America - The First Avenger and The Rocketeer under his belt, Johnston has a history of getting the tone of pulply films and still producing a quality product.

Other Stuff 

I mentioned music above, and here's where we're going to talk about it. Say what you want about the 1980 Flash Gordon, the Queen soundtrack is pretty magnificent. I'm proposing that the Queen tracks are still used, but only sparingly. Do modern orchestral scores for most of the film, drop some of the ambient Queen tracks in the background, but hold off on the main theme. In the big finale fight, Flash will be going up against Kala, he probably has a sword and she has a high-tech whip. As Flash is getting whipped and Kala is berating him for being weak, we hear the bass line from "Flash" slowly building. When Flash stands up to fight back, the song proper starts and the Queen is pumped up for the heroic comeback. That's a musical cue that will get the audience cheering all the way home.

After the credits roll, the camera fades in on an elaborate control panel and a screen showing the planet Earth. A hand in a velvet glove and elaborate rings glides across a series of buttons labelled "Earthquake", "Tornado", "Tidal Wave" etc, before setting over one marked "Hot Hail". An evil laugh fills the air and the screen fades to black.