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It was a losing battle from the get-go, as production on DC Studios‘ live-action adaptation of Sgt. Rock has been put on hold after being greenlit months ago with a US$65 million budget and plans to begin filming this August.
A reason for the change wasn’t given, but The Hollywood Reporter cites insider information that the need for exterior location shooting required a date that couldn’t be met. The project is now scheduled for reassessment at the end of the year for a potential shoot in Summer 2026, although the extent of intended director Luca Guadagino’s involvement remains unclear — a second source listed his inexperience with action films as a possible contributing factor.
The Challengers helmer was initially tapped for the big-screen pic, which was in the throes of casting. Daniel Craig, of James Bond fame, first circled the titular role, only to drop out of consideration and put an end to a reunion between him and Guadagnino, who worked on Queer together. The Penguin‘s Colin Farrell was eyed to fill the gap, with Justin Kuritzkes, also hailing from Queer, originally aboard as scriptwriter.
While set in World War II, the Sgt. Rock film was said to feature the character and a female French Resistance fighter teaming up to find the mystical Spear of Destiny, used to stab Jesus Christ during his crucifixion. DC Studios co-head Peter Safran previously teased “an interesting take” on the story, saying, “[It’s] a really compelling story about heroism in a time of armed conflict…. we love the idea of being able to tell something that, it’s a war movie.”
As for his comic book roots, the war hero was created by Robert Kanigher and Joe Kubert in 1959, rising to prominence when he got his own offshoot from 1977 to 1988. It marked one of DC’s longest-running series, continuing his adventures as an U.S. Army non-commissioned officer who commands the Easy Company unit as they battle Nazis during WWII.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
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Kevin Low
