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Sam Worthington is looking to start his own franchise and has chosen the sci-fi comic series Dan Dare: Pilot of the Future.  This would be Worthington's third project lined-up as he's already attached to star in Ami Canaan Mann's real-crime flick The Fields (formerly The Texas Killing Fields) and a remake of the Danish thriller The Candidate.

Dan Dare has been around since 1950 and is described as a kind of British Buck Rogers.  Created by Frank Hampson, Dare is one of the most successful comics in UK history. Billionaire Richard Branson picked up the rights with his Virgin Comics and brought on writer Garth Ennis (Preacher) to create a "darker" version of the character (read: more swearing, gruesome violence, and sex).  It's important that comic book heroes no longer have any joy, especially one with such a grim title as Pilot of the Future.

Warner Bros. has picked up the project but no writer or director is currently attached.  Worthington will next be seen in Clash of the Titans in theaters on April 2nd. [Pajiba]