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Warren Beatty just received an early birthday gift. (He turns 74 next week.) A federal judge in Los Angeles has stopped Tribune Co from reclaiming the television and movie rights to comic-strip detective Dick Tracy from Warren Beatty. U.S. District Judge Dean Pregerson granted summary judgment in the producer/director/actor’s favor yesterday, ruling that the fact Beatty had begun work on a half-hour TV special, which had Warren dressed as the Dick Tracy character answering questions from film critic Leonard Maltin, satisfied a use-it-or-lose-it clause in an agreement with Tribune to produce a Dick Tracy movie or TV show or lose the rights to the character. Now, what Warren wants to do with the Dick Tracy character whose rights he acquired from Tribune Media Services in 1985 going forward I can’t imagine.
The expensive 1990 movie he produced, directed and starred in for Disney’s Touchstone pictures was no blockbuster despite a stellar cast that included Al Pacino, Dustin Hoffman and even a well-hyped romance between Madonna and himself. But it did collect seven Academy Award nominations, winning Oscars for Best Original Song, Best Makeup, and Best Art Direction. As for that TV special which featured Beatty discussing how Dick Tracy has been portrayed on film over the years, it only ran on Turner Classic Movies in July 2009. Beatty only made it to keep his rights intact. It’s hard to imagine today’s younger audiences caring about the detective, yet Tribune Co has said in bankruptcy filings that unfettered rights to Dick Tracy are potentially worth millions” to the company and its creditors.
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That’s great, so long as he actually does something with the rights
He won’t ever do anything with the rights he’s had them for 20 years he’s being selfish and stupid he should sell the rights back to Tribune or to Disney he’s never going to do a sequel he’s too old so what’s his objective? Warren stop holding onto something you will never ever do.
Well, whoopee, a 74 year old Dick Tracy?
Beatty needs to let go – take a good supporting role in a top notch indie or great director’s movie and grab the crown. He’s been sitting up on Mulholland for years doing nothing but hanging with the kids.
Well he should make another “Dick Tracy” movie. He should produce it “NOT STAR”. I think today Matt Damon or even “ONE NOTE” actor Ben Afleck would do a great job.
Not Jon Hamm?
Holy SHIT that is AMAZING CASTING.
Shame Beatty will never actually DO anything with the character.
yeah, Jon Hamm would be a perfect Tracy.
I THINK A MODERN DAY APPROACH TO DICK TRACY WOULD BE GREAT – DON’T FORGET ALL THE RETIREES WHO CONNECT WITH THE PREVIOUS – THERE IS STILL AN AUDIENCE – MATT DAMON OR JON HAMM WOULD DO A GREAT JOB and BRING IN THE BUCKS. THANK YOU AND GOOD EVENING!
Hurrah! Good for you Warren Beatty. I suggest you contact Summit which just got a new credit facility and maybe would write a check for the film.
Is that, I ask myself, really in the spirit of the agreement…
How absurd. If he isn’t going to do anything with the property, let it go back to someone who will.
“ruling that a Beatty TV special, in which he was interviewed dressed as the Dick Tracy character, satisfied a clause in the agreement with Tribune to produce a Dick Tracy movie or TV show by a deadline or lose the rights to the character.”
That kinda sounds like BS.So, last year, Columbia/Sony had to start production on a Ghost Rider movie by November or the rights would revert back to Marvel.Does that mean that if Nic Cage had appeared in TV special about Nic Cage, dressed as Ghost Rider, the rights would be safe?
Well, that depends on the contract between Sony & Marvel and whether or not a Ghost Rider character appearance has any bearing on the rights expiration.
But sure, it sounds bullshitty.
A bigger question is, by now, who cares? DICK TRACY could maybe work again, maybe not. Maybe audiences will respond to a comic detective without superpowers if/when the superhero glut ever ends.
More likely though IMO is the 1990 movie was 20 years too late, THEN. Another DICK TRACY had better keep the names, some of the costume design, and some of the art design derived from the comic. And toss just about everything else.
Good thing he didn’t have time to change clothes from the Tracey shoot right before that interview.
Anticipate he’ll sell the rights now. Doubtful he actually wants to do anything with the property.
Why NOT keep the rights? Is everyone stupid? All he has to do is play dress-up on a TV show and he keeps the rights? Ill bet Sony wishes they had a clause like that in their deal with Spider Man, instead of having to spend $200 Million just to hang on to what will soon be an overcooked franchise.
Besides, who would buy the rights? Dick Tracy’s high point in popularity was 80 years ago. What are the rights to Alley Oop? Or the Katzenjammer Whatever-they-weres?
Could this mean the return of Madonaa as Breathless Mahoney?
As a disciple of 1970′s Hollywood, Beatty is one of my favorite actors, but everything I’ve ever heard about his personal life makes him sound nuts.
I agree though that I’d love to see him act in a smaller film. Too bad he never will.
There’s a lot of Hollywood-think going on here so let’s go outside the box for success:
Warren Beatty is a great Dick Tracy and to keep him in the role I’d go the animated route for any future productions with him providing the voice/motion capture.
Dick Tracy is a Family Franchise.
What’s more family friendly that animation based on a comic strip?
Animation allows you two major benefits:
1. You keep the look and feel of the original Chester Gould designs the film was based around as well as utilizing animations abilities to exploit the hi-tech assets with which Tracy enforces the law.
2. Mr. Beatty can keep the role for a long time.
People like Mr. Beatty don’t fight for a franchise this valuable just to offload it for cash you don’t need…
KC
@teampooka
Wow… That’s really a dick move, so to speak. My impression of what kind of guy Beatty is just went way down.
I dunno, I could totally see Dick Tracy working again.
A mystery TV series in the retro vein of Mad Men?
OR SHIT– Just cast Jon Hamm in the movie version already, and give it a Frank Miller/Zack Snyder treatment. I’d pay to see that. period.
Either way, high styled, hard boiled, cops and robbers could really work.
Brilliant idea. Maybe Beatty could direct Jon Hamm. That would be an amazing use of the rights.
The 1990 movie was mostly a disappointment because of the budget and how hyped it was (coming the summer after Batman). I think a new version could work without too much change, as long as long as the budget wasn’t too high.
It made $100 domestic way in 1990, with a budget of 47 million. It made 59 million more in foreign. 160 million off of a budget of 47 million is a “non-blockbuster” a lot of studios today would be happy to have.
You’re not including the endless promotion Disney did for that film, which probably wasn’t part of the production budget.
It wasn’t a failure, but it definitely was not the blockbuster smash that they were hoping for.
Maybe Beatty should hire Affleck to direct it and have Ben’s buddy Damon star in it. Then again nobody gives a crap about Dick Tracy anyway.
I remember seeing Dick Tracy at the theater, and it was a very enjoyable film. I was surprised to hear that it wasn’t a blockbuster. It deserved better.
“Dick Tracey calling Go Go….HOLD EVERYTHING… damn, my teeth just fell out.”
(too obscure?)
I got it
Always thought the franchise would make a great 1hr live action series for television.
Can’t imagine why an actor of his calibre would want to return to Dick Tracy. He’s better than that. I’d rather see him do a Clint Eastwood and steer his persona to something more interesting and age appropriate. It’d be a tragedy if his final film was the wretched Town & Country.
Dick Tracy could make a great animated movie. It’s a pity Beatty is the most indecisive filmmaker in the history of the world.
Yes agree with basil … i can’t imagine it too!!
Nah, I get ya. Though that animated series was a real waste of the character. Now why hasn’t Joe Jitsu gotten his own movie, eh?
One actor that comes to mind who would make a good Dick Tracy, Thomas Gibson (Hotch on CRIMINAL MINDS)