Posted: Thu., Nov. 19, 2009, 8:00pm PT

Peter Iliff to pen 'American Gladiators'

Film to feature characters as superheroes

By Tatiana Siegel

Iliff

Scribe Peter Iliff has been tapped to adapt a live-action bigscreen version of "American Gladiators."

Story, which will feature the Herculean characters as superheroes, will be based on the TV show that first aired in 1988 and has been broadcast in more than 90 countries, with the format adapted for the local market in 14 of them. Most recently, NBC aired a primetime revival of the show in 2008.

Scott Mednick ("Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles") is producing, and "American Gladiators" creator Johnny Ferraro is exec producing.

Mednick is targeting the release for 2011.

Iliff's credits include "Patriot Games," "Varsity Blues" and "Under Suspicion." He recently penned a sequel to his 1991 surfer hit "Point Break," which will be helmed by Jeff Wadlow.