David Goyer Set to Direct THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO

David Goyer, the screenwriter of Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy and the upcoming Man of Steel, has signed on to direct a new big screen adaptation of the Alexandre Dumas classic The Count of Monte Cristo.

The movie is set up at Constantine Films and producer Jeremy Bolt, who is also a producer on the Resident Evil franchise. The script for the film was written by Michael Robert Johnson, and according to THR he's taken a "graphic novel" approach to story... whatever that means, but according to an insider it's described as a “19th century Dark Knight.” The book is already pretty fantastic! Maybe they'll add some of that gritty Sherlock Holmes flare to it? Here's what Goyer had to say in a statement,

During my career I’ve enjoyed re-invigorating and contextualizing classic characters that are relatable to contemporary audiences. Michael has written an excellent script, and I’m going to enjoy bringing our take of the rich and textured world of Monte Cristo to the big screen.

In case you've been living under a rock since you were born, here's a short story summary. 

Set in early 19th century France, the tale centers on Edmond Dantes, a young man betrayed and falsely jailed. While on a prison island, Dantes meets a fellow inmate who not only educates the man but also points him in the direction of a fortune. When Dantes finally escapes after many years, he re-emerges in Paris society primed to take revenge against the men who took away his love and his freedom.

This story has been retold hundreds of times over the years. ABC's Revenge, is actually a reimagining of it, and there's already a few movie adaptations that have been made. The most recently one was made back in 2002 and starred Jim Caviezel and Guy Pearce. I actually really liked that adaptation! 

Goyer's a solid writer, but all the films he's directed have been mediocre, so I'm not going to get my hopes up about this one. Hopefully it ends up good!