Disney Plus is developing a sequel to its 1991 superhero/adventure movie The Rocketeer. Deadline says David Oyelowo (Jack Reacher, Lincoln, Selma) will produce and star in the sequel titled The Return of the Rocketeer. Ed Ricourt (Now You See Me, Raising Dion, Wayward Pines) will pen the script. According to the article, the movie will be set after World War II and follow a retired fighter pilot who picks up the mantle – And the rocket pack! – of the previous Rocketeer. Oyelowo already portrayed Tuskegee airman in the 2012 war epic Red Tails.
The Rocketeer began as a comic book created by the late, great Dave Stevens back in 1982. He was, in turn, heavily inspired by the pulp magazine adventures and early movie serials. The Rocketeer follows Cliff Secord, a stunt pilot in the late 1930s who discovers a mysterious jetpack allowing him to fly. In 1991, Disney produced a live-action film featuring Alan Arkin (Argo), Bill Campbell (Bram Stoker’s Dracula), Jennifer Connelly (Dark City), and Timothy Dalton (Hot Fuzz). Produced for $40 million, the movie went on to earn barely $46,7 million. Over the years, however, The Rocketeer became a classic among the fans of adventure movies like Raiders of the Lost Ark.
