'The Legend of Sinbad' Movie Gets a Director

The story of Sinbad is being told on the big screen once again -- with the help of a film [...]

By Jenna Anderson

The story of Sinbad is being told on the big screen once again -- with the help of a film veteran.

According to a new report from Deadline, The Wedding Singer and Zookeeper director Frank Coraci has signed on to direct The Legend of Sinbad, an upcoming live-action project from Millennium Films and Eagle Films. Location scouting on the film is reportedly underway, with shooting being lined up for sometime in the fall.

The project is being described as a "big canvas" English language film, which will be based on Sinbad, the fictional mariner from One Thousand and One Nights. The story will follow Sinbad's seven voyages across the seas east of Africa and south of Asia has spectacular adventures encountering monsters, magic and various supernatural phenomena. The film is expected to cast actors of Middle East origin, including in the titular role.

The script is written by Hank Woon (It Came From the Desert) and Andrew Cosby, the latter of whom wrote the upcoming Hellboy reboot.

"It's a dream to be helming The Legend Of Sinbad with this amazing team." Coraci said in a statement. "The rich culture, setting, and themes of this mythic tale allow me a spectacular cinematic canvas to create a mind-blowing universe filled with fantastical creatures and adventures. Sinbad will be a swashbuckling fun ride, packed with emotion and big laughs. It's the kind of movie you must see on the big screen."

"It is an exciting time to take the long-standing partnership between Millennium and Eagle Films and create an epic action-adventure film rooted in Arabian culture," Eagle Films CEO, Jamal Sannan, added. "It's a total synergy between Hollywood and the Middle East and this is only the beginning."

"In an era where a globally united community is rapidly gaining traction, it has never been so important to use the gift of storytelling to remind each and every one of us that we are all brothers and sisters and that despite our differences, we all yearn for and deserve the same things – love, laughter and freedom." Millennium President Jeffrey Greenstein added.

Coraci's filmography also includes the 2004 remake of Around the World in 80 Days, as well as Click and The Ridiculous 6. The latter film was briefly shrouded in a bit of controversy during filming, after several actors and a cultural advisor reportedly walked off set due to offensive jokes being made against Native Americans.

This comes after Millennium recently put their big-screen remake of Red Sonja on hold, following the sexual assault controversy surrounding that project's director, Brian Singer.

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