The “Universal Soldier” films have certainly had an unpredictable history, to say the least, with sequels and reboots alternately hitting theaters, television, and home media since the series’ inception in 1992. While there’s been little sign of any continuation of the series since its latest chapter, 2012’s mind-warping trip “Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning”, some new details on where the series will head next have dropped from screenwriter Richard Wenk.
ICYMI, in a recent interview with Discussing Film, Wenk took a similar approach as the makers of the upcoming remake of “The Raid” have by positioning his take on the franchise as a “re-imagining”:
“I will say that I’m just finishing up a re-imagining — let’s be clear about this, it’s not a remake and it is not a redo — but it is a re-imagining of a movie called ‘Universal Soldier’…very much like ‘The Equalizer’, it’s the title that inspired me and not the movies…I’m just about to finish (the script) and turn it in…”
Wenk further elaborates on his re-imagining of “Universal Soldier” and other projects throughout his career in an interview below:
Given that the “Universal Soldier” franchise takes a non-linear, splash-dash approach to continuity that even the “X-Men” and “Fast and Furious” would never dream of, it’s hard to say from Wenk’s interview where his take on the franchise will fit in the larger canon of the series, or if it even aims to do so. However, with the franchise boasting such legends of action as Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren, Bill Goldberg, Michael Jai White, and Scott Adkins among its roster, fans of the series will certainly want to keep this on their radar. With Wenk having previously lent his screenwriting services to Denzel Washington’s 2014 vehicle “The Equalizer”, along with this summer’s “The Equalizer 2”, that may be the best metric (aside from what he says above) to intuit what he has in mind for “Universal Soldier”. You can check out the trailers for both films below.
Stay tuned for more info on Richard Wenk’s “re-imagining” of the “Universal Soldier” franchise as it arrives! Excited to see what the new take on “Universal Soldier” brings to the table, Artificial Intelligence combined with combat on a whole new level perhaps? Which legends of action do you think would fit the bill? Let us know in the comments below; Like, share and join in the conversation on Facebook and follow us on Twitter & Instagram. (Activate your own UNISOL with our Michael Jai White interview where he shares a behind-the-scenes peek at “Universal Soldier: The Return” and stay tuned for more KFK exclusive FUture features!)
