New Worlds To Conquer: The Return of Ray Harryhausen
Marc Shapiro

            Visual effects legend Ray Harryhausen has been retired from active filmmaking for decades. But if the year 2006 is any indication, the man who brought to life the creatures in The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms, 20 Million Miles To Earth and the mythological beasts from The 7th Voyage Of Sinbad, Jason and the Argonauts and Clash Of The Titans is far from packing it in.

            Within the past year, Harryhausen has released a collection of his pre-production art entitled The Art Of Ray Harryhausen. He is also currently working as a consultant with San Diego based Legend Films on the colorization of director Merian C. Cooper's 1935 film version of H. Rider Haggard's novel She. Harryhausen has also recently signed a contract with England-based trading card company Strictly Ink to put out a series of cards featuring images from his films as well as pre-production art.

            Most recently Harryhausen, under the banner Ray Harryhausen Presents, has forged a two-pronged media assault that will mark the master’s return to both film and comic books.

            Mindfire Entertainment's Chief Executive Officer, Mark Altman, has announced that an option deal is in place for his company to do film adaptations based on Harryhausen's unproduced material.

            "We respect Ray Harryhausen," says Altman. "So when the opportunity came to get involved, it just seemed like a natural fit. To finally see these things come to the screen is very exciting."

            Harryhausen's deal with Mindfire allows for four films to be made under the Ray Harryhausen Presents banner and will draw on ideas Harryhausen has had over the years regarding Sinbad, Jason and the Argonauts, a follow up to Clash Of The Titans and a science fiction concept called The Elementals.

            "Some of the ideas were extremely well thought out," explains Altman. "Others are just log lines and notions that Ray was noodling over. Our writers will expand upon these concepts, in consort with Ray, into full stories."

            Altman, who says the deal initially allows for four films but could go beyond that number, says that Harryhausen will be actively involved in the development of stories and the overseeing of special effects. "What he did for his films in the past is what he will bring to his films in the future. It will be Dynarama for a new era. We suspect that a lot of the effects for these films will be done in CGI but they will contain the feel that will be true to the classic Dynarama process."

            Altman says that the first film will most likely be shot in the fall and will be released sometime in 2007.

            On the comic book front, Harryhausen, in conjunction with Blue Water Productions, will begin a comic book line with new adventures based on timeless Harryhausen creations.

            "We're basically taking things a step further," Blue Water Production head Darren Davis says. "These will not technically be sequels to Ray's original stories but rather new stories based on his artwork and ideas."

            The first three titles under the Harryhausen-Blue Water agreement will be Wrath Of The Titans, 20 Million Miles From Earth and Sinbad, Rogue Of Mars. Harryhausen will also contribute his ideas to an updating of the original, long running Blue Water comic, 10th Muse.

            Harryhausen, in a prepared statement to the media, said, "As an artist, I've always enjoyed exploring new and exciting areas. Although many of my feature films were adapted into comic book format, I have never been directly involved in that art form until now. I look forward to seeing characters from my films in new and exciting adventures."

            Arnold Kunert, the agent representing Harryhausen, says the veteran FX man's involvement in the comic books will consist of giving his story and art approval and making sure that there will be no compromising of his vision. "The only caveat with the comics is that they be respectful of Ray's reputation and that they don't besmirch his characters. There will be no extreme violence or sex. That's something that has always been so uncharacteristic of Ray's style which never really required those things."

            Kunert also says that the comic book line may ultimately be turned into a series of live action or animated films while Davis reports that there has been serious discussion for a possible toy line based on Harryhausen's creations.

            "The important thing is to get the initial products produced and released," says Kunert. "Then we'll find out if there is an audience for this in other areas. We're going to test the waters and see how the initial pieces do but my assumption is that the characters will continue on into more and more adventures."

            Davis says that Ray Harryhausen Presents comic books will begin a staggered release schedule in December with each storyline consisting of a five-issue arc.