Star Wars? Whatever... I Just Found Out The Rocketeer Might Return!
Wednesday, October 31, 2012 at 10:48PM 
The less common (more horizontal) Rocketeer movie poster image from the 1991 film
I had a brush with Art Deco tonight (the 1930's graphic style not some guy named Art) and that pretty quickly drove me back into the arm of the Rocketeer. That Disney film from 1991 is still one of my all time favorites... tho I realized when I hopped into youtube for a little visual stimulation Rocketeer style that I haven't actually watched the film for several years now. That's gonna change real soon! I was a little surprised that the entire film can be watched at youtube in a string of just-under-10-minute-segments (wait till Mickey finds out about that!) - so I watched the first segment... wow I love that film! Any movie that shows me Miss Los Angeles, the Gee Bee Z, AND a Travel Air Mystery Ship all in the first 2 minutes pretty much owns my heart!
So I felt compelled to say something about the Rocketeer tonight. And since you already know that my love for the film drove the design concept for the AirPigz logo, I had to find something else to say... and wow, did I find something interesting! In late August there was some gossip floating around the internet that suggests that the people at Disney are kicking around the idea for finally giving us a second Rocketeer movie! I'm not sure how I missed hearing about this, but I had no idea... so while the big news to most people right now is that Disney just bought all of Lucasfilm for $4 billion and now owns the rights to Star Wars, I'm way more interested in this new Rocketeer possibility.
However, it appears caution is needed here as we look to the future. It seems that this new Rocketeer thought is probably just that, a thought. I haven't seen any green light indications yet, just some info suggesting that Disney was shopping for writers and storyline ideas. Plus, it also looks like this might be a reboot of the story, which means it might get hammered and re-formed enough to make the old-schoolers like me get really really mad. However, it could also mean that a new project might steer itself more into the path of the comic book version of the Rocketeer (orginated by the late Dave Stevens in 1982) which would clearly be different than the Disney film but it night also be pretty fantastic.
For reasons I don't understand, the 1991 Disney film of the Rocketeer didn't do very well at the box office (at least compared to what it cost to make) and it wasn't really very well liked by the critics. Joe Johnston was the director for the film, and he's had some recent great success as the director of Captain America: The First Avenger (2011) which leads many to think he'd be the perfect fit to direct a new Rocketeer. It's funny tho, I remember him saying after the first Rocketeer, when asked if he'd do another one, he said something like: I'd fake my own death before I worked with Disney again.
Oh well, all I know is that I'm a lot more interested in a new Rocketeer then I am three more Star Wars episodes...
The first 9:59 of the Rocketeer movie from 1991
Reader Comments (6)
As a fan of The Rocketeer AND a fan of the dear departed series Lost, I was amazed to notice for the first time today that Howard Hughes in the Rocketeer was played by Terry O'Quinn, who played John Locke in Lost. A Much younger Terry O'Quinn, but there he is! Locke was my favorite character in that series, and although Terry played other roles before and since, none stands out as much. Kinda funny I never noticed it before though!
A favorite here, too. Disney could shoot at Kermit Weeks airport and not have to go anywhere else for period ships or background sets.
Also a Rocketeer fan, but I thought they could have used the Autogyro a little more myself.!
David Kilmer- It'll be interesting to see if Howard Hughes is worked into the reboot in any way. Some H-1 racer action would sure make me happy!
Tim- yes indeed, more autogyro please : )
Sometimes I think I was born in the wrong era. I love those old planes. And I forgot how epic the soundtrack was. I'm gonna have to rent it and watch it for real.
Never seen this before. Looks like a must watch!