The Saint Reboot - What We Know So Far

When the period costume drama, "Bridgerton," first hit Netflix in 2020, everyone was talking about the Shondaland-produced romance series. Fans fell in love with the demure and thoughtful Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor), rooted for kind and intelligent Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan), and swooned for the devilishly handsome Duke of Hastings, Simon Basset. It was no surprise when Netflix announced the pickup for a second season, but fans were crestfallen to learn that their favorite leading man, Regé-Jean Page, would not be returning to the show — the reason being that the chapter of Daphne and Simon's tumultuous romance had been given a satisfyingly happy ending, and the creators saw no reason to mess that up (thank goodness!).

Good news is now at hand for Page's fans, who will be excited to learn that the actor has landed a starring role in his very own film. Paramount Pictures has just announced that Page will star in "The Saint," as broken by Deadline. While some may recognize the title as a classic 1960s TV series, as well as a 1997 feature film, others may be scrambling to find out more about this new take on an old classic. For them, here is what we know about "The Saint" so far.

As of yet, there is no official release date for "The Saint." According to Deadline, Regé-Jean Page has recently wrapped on a film for Netflix titled "The Gray Man," which is set for a 2022 release. Page will also star alongside "Star Trek" actor Chris Pine in Paramount's "Dungeons & Dragons." Filming for the fantasy epic is already underway, and a release date has been announced for March 3, 2023. Most likely, production for "The Saint" will begin once filming for "D&D" has wrapped. As long as everything stays on schedule, it's a safe bet that fans might see "The Saint" hit screens sometime in 2024.

Now that Paramount studios has joined in the ranks of streaming sites with Paramount+, the film company has its own set of options to explore when it comes to the release of new features. Although more theaters are opening their doors as the number of COVID vaccinations rises across the globe, many streaming sites are offering movies to be watched from the comfort of audiences' homes. Paramount's suspense horror film "A Quiet Place Part II," which has been a big hit with critics and audiences (via Rotten Tomatoes), was released on Paramount+ just 45 days after the movie hit theaters. While we hope that the trend of watching movies in the theaters continues, it is possible that more upcoming films — like "The Saint" — will quickly be made available to watch via streaming.

So far, the announcement of Regé-Jean Page's role in "The Saint" is the only confirmed casting news, although more is sure to follow. Page will not only star in the film, but he is an executive producer as well (via Deadline).

A native of London, Page is not the first actor to take on the role of Simon Templar, AKA the Saint, a character who was created by author Leslie Charteris from his novels. A series of films released by RKO Pictures in the 1930s and '40s were the first adaptations, with the hero played interchangeably by actors Louis Hayward, George Sanders, and Hugh Sinclair.

Perhaps a better known adaptation for "The Saint" was the 1960s British television series, which starred Roger Moore as Simon Templar. The show ran on ITV from 1962 to 1969, and its popularity pushed Moore into the Hollywood spotlight. Moore would go on to become the new James Bond following Sean Connery's era as the gentleman British spy, and he continued the role across four films during the 1980s.

In 1997, Paramount also released a remake of "The Saint," which starred Val Kilmer as the titular character. The film wasn't quite the success that the studio had been hoping for, and reviews for the action spy movie are pretty dismal (via Rotten Tomatoes). Hopefully, Paramount will have better success with its new reimagining.

The official plot of "The Saint" is being kept tightly under wraps at the moment, but we can assume that the film will take at least some of its premise from the source material. The original novels and short stories introduced the English hero Simon Templar, who is described as a modern day Robin Hood (via Deadline). Templar is a master of disguise, who uses various aliases on his missions to fight corruption and dispose of the wicked. In later versions, Templar was also hired as a spy for the American government. Although he mainly works alone (and not often on the side of the law), Templar has had many companions come and go over the years.

"The Saint" has undergone a few overhauls over the decades. The first books were published in the 1930s, and then adapted to fit the more "modern" eras of the 1960s, and later the late 1990s, as more adaptations were made. Now in the 2020s, it will be interesting to see how the upcoming movie will bring "The Saint" into the 21st century. We will be sure to keep our readers updated with more news about "The Saint" as it becomes available.