It’s Not Mandrake The Mindfreak
January 11, 2008
This past summer earlier reports about the new Mandrake movie said that Criss Angel was signed on the be the star of the movie, playing the lead character Mandrake The Magician. Ellusionist has learned that those earlier reports were premature in their information and that Angel is not playing the lead. The lead role of Mandrake is going to Emmy Award nominee & Golden Globe Award winner actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers.
Angel was quoted in earlier reports: “I’ve just signed on to do a movie which I’ll be shooting at the end of this year called Mandrake, which is based on the comic book strip,”
“Mandrake the Magician” was created by Lee Falk in 1934. The dapper, mustached magician remains one of the most famous characters in the comic strip medium, his adventures appearing in newspapers worldwide. Mandrake uses his legendary powers of hypnotism and illusion to combat crime.
On his involvement in the film Angel said “It’s gonna kind of be like a kind of cool realm of The Crow but different of Mandrake the magician coming to life. I’m designing and creating the visual effects for that, as well as going to be acting in it. So that’s a very exciting prospect that I’m looking forward to do.”
Since it’s a movie and not a magic show, special effects only possible on the screen will be abundant, so Criss will be right at home working magic in this area.
The film is still in preproduction, so don’t count on seeing this anytime soon.
This isn’t the first time Mandrake has been put on film.
1939 - Mandrake The Magician Motion Picture
1954 - Mandrake The Magician - TV series pilot
1979 - Mandrake made for TV movie
Criss isn’t the only magician not to play Mandrake. In the 1979 movie, Harry Blackstone Jr. was cast as the role of a doctor and not the magician.
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“Since it’s a movie and not a magic show, special effects only possible on the screen will be abundant, so Criss will be right at home working magic in this area.”
What a low blow!
I hope the movie is good though. I’ll probably be seeing it when it comes out.