Sci-Fi Bulletin: Exploring the Universes of SF, Fantasy, Horror and Spy-fi!

The long-gestating movie version of Martin Caidin’s Cyborg novels and the TV series that spun from them, The Six Million Dollar Man, has got a step closer with the announcement that Mark Wahlberg will play Steve Austin in an inflation-adjusted Six Billion Dollar Man film.

Caidin’s 1972 novel followed former astronaut Austin who is seriously injured in an experimental plane crash and is rebuilt with the aid of bionics – artificial limbs which make him stronger and faster than the ordinary human being. Finance is provided by the government, and Austin is set to work for the Office of Strategic Operations with Oscar Goldman. The TV movie, starring Lee Majors, followed the first half of the novel (including Steve’s attempted suicide) but gave him a different mission for the OSO, and a new boss, Oliver Spencer, played by Kolchak’s Darren McGavin. The second TV movie introduced Richard Anderson’s Oscar Goldman, as well as retitling the agency the OSI.

The TV series ran for five seasons, spinning off The Bionic Woman (played by Lindsey Wagner) along the way, and spawning three reunion movies. Attempts to bring the original series back on the big screen have faltered, although a short-lived remake of The Bionic Woman starred Michelle Ryan appeared in 2007.

The new movie will start filming next year for a 2016 release, directed by Peter Berg. Hopefully the theme tune will be retained…