Producer Bob Ducsay, who partnered up with 'Van Helsing' helmer Stephen Sommer to develop a new 'Flash Gordon', stopped to chat with Now Playing Magazine about the status of the project.

Ducsay was quick to address what every Sci-Fi fan fears the most: the movie will not take into account the overly-cheesy 1980 version, which starred Sam Jones and Max Von Sydow.

"It in fact is actually going back to a lot more of the original source material for Flash and is not based on the 1980 movie.' He said. 'And tonally, as sort of broad entertainments as the films we make are, clearly we haven't ever worked at that level of camp. So we're not moving in that direction at all. There's all kinds of material. There's comics. There's serials. So all of those things provide source material."

The actual progress in developing the long-dormant title doesn't mean director Sommers will handle it all himself, points out the procducer. No decision have been made on a director or even proper writer, and Sommers have more than enough projects to pick his next gig from.

"We actually have a few movies in development," says Ducsay. "Flash Gordon… Airborn is another sort of adventure type movie that we're also developing. But then we also have things like A Flame Over India, which William Goldman is writing for us. It's an adventure movie, but it's really in the style of a David Lean movie. It's not filled with visual effects, and it's quite a wonderful movie."

Created in 1934, Flash Gordon has been adapted in every possible way over the years, from comic books (even DC and Marvel picked it up shortly in the 80's and 90's) to TV series and Movies. His last appearance was in a 1996 short-lived cartoon series that revamped the character into a younger, hipper hero.

Now specific are known concerning the new version, other that Universal intends to get it done by the end of 2006.

In related news, Max Von Sydow's head bump is getting bigger. The veteran actor has reportedly been banging his head on the wall ever since appearing in the 1980 movie.