Tancharoen
Kevin Tancharoen, who rebooted dance pic "Fame" for MGM, will helm sci-fi actioner "Arcana," which Brett Ratner will produce at Universal Pictures.
The choreographer-turned-helmer will direct the project based on a script by John Ridley, who is penning WWII actioner "Red Tails," about the Tuskegee Airmen, for George Lucas.
Tancharoen developed the original idea with actor Harry Shum Jr., a regular in Fox's upcoming "Glee," before selling it to U.
Details of "Arcana" are being kept under wraps, but it's described as a live-action graphic novel influenced by "Blade Runner" that includes martial arts and uses production methods similar to Zack Snyder's "300."
Ridley is no stranger to comicbooks, having penned "The Authority" and "The American Way" for DC Comics.
Ratner and Jay Stern will produce through their Rat Entertainment shingle, with John Cheng overseeing the project.
The Lion bows "Fame," Tancharoen's first pic, on Sept. 25.
Contact Marc Graser at
marc.graser@variety.com