Francis Lawrence Taking DC Comics' Sgt. Rock Into the Future

A movie based on DC Comics' WWII hero Sgt. Rock has been stuck in development hell for quite some time and last we heard was Guy Ritchie might be at the helm until he became attached to Lobo. But that was over a year and a half ago, and THR's Heat Vision now says that Francis Lawrence (who last directed I Am Legend) is attached to direct a script from newcomer Chad St. John with super-producers Joel Silver and Akiva Goldsman guiding the project for Warner Bros. However, Sgt. Rock will be lifted from the period fight in World War II into the future to avoid feeling dated and out of tune with contemporary issues.

While hardcore fans of the comics might be aghast at this shift into the future, this is probably best for the film to reach a bigger audience. Heat Vision points out, "Inglourious Basterds notwithstanding, period war ...