Gareth Edwards's reboot of "Godzilla" is expected to start shooting this spring, but, before it does, the screenplay will be receiving a polish from Frank Darabont. The "Shawshank Redemption" director has been brought on board to do another pass on the script written by Max Bornstein.
This is a nice acquisition for Legendary Pictures; while this isn't meant to cast a negative light on Bornstein's contribution so far, any project stands to be improved with Darabont's involvement. Even his early horror work, which included a draft of "Nightmare on Elm Street 3," is noteworthy, and his reputation has only improved in the decades since.
In more troubling news for the film, however, Deadline reports that there is currently a major power struggle behind the scenes involving producers Dan Lin and Rory Lee. Early reports indicated that the duo left the project thanks to a heavy workload, but new information suggests that they may have been forced out by Legendary Pictures.
According to Deadline, the two are now in a "huge battle" with the production company after being cut loose with a deal that would offer them an up-front payment without the possibility of back-end royalties after the film is released.
The move is somewhat stunning since Lin was discussing the project as recently as a few weeks ago, when he indicated that he was excited for Evans's new take on the old franchise. Mike Fleming expects that this dispute will result in an ugly legal battle, as both Lin and Lee are prominent executives on the Warner lot.
Hopefully, the squabble won't lead to the film's delay; if it stays on track for a release next year, it will have been in development for almost five years, as Legendary first optioned the rights to the franchise way back in 2009.
