Chris Pine to Star in The Saint Reboot

From Wonder Woman to Star Trek, Chris Pine has developed a bit of a reputation for starring in massive action blockbusters. According to a new report, he will soon be adding another iconic franchise to his resume -- The Saint. Variety is reporting that Pine is in negotiations to star in a reboot of the franchise, which is based on the series of novels written by Leslie Charteris. The project will be directed by Dexter Flecther (Rocketman, Band of Brothers), with a script from Seth Grahame-Smith (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter).

The Saint follows Simon Templar/The Saint, a Robin Hood-like vigilante and thief for hire who goes on a globetrotting adventure. In many iterations, Simon leaves a stick figure drawing of a man with a halo at the scene of his "crimes". The franchise was first brought to life in a series of novels and short stories by Leslie Charteris from 1928 to 1963. Since then, The Saint has been spun out into comics, radio dramas, multiple television shows, and movies. Multiple actors have stepped into the role of Simon Templar over the years, including Val Kilmer, Roger Moore, and Adam Rayner. Guardians of the Galaxy star (and fellow Hollywood Chris) Chris Pratt was reported to be eyed for the role in 2018.

Lorenzo Di Bonaventura (Transformers, G.I. Joe) is producing along with Brad Krevoy and Mark Vahradian. Robert Evans, who served as a producer on the original film and died in 2019, also helped produce.

According to Variety's report, Paramount hopes to turn the rebooted version of The Saint into a long-running series of movies. The studio also reportedly sees the project as the "perfect role" for Pine, while the script for Star Trek 4 (which may or may not be a continuation of the Pine-led "Kelvin timeline") is being finished.

Are you excited to see Pine potentially star in a reboot of The Saint? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!