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It’s been a while since we’ve had an update on the status of the intriguing Warner Bros.-Infinitum Nihil project Rex Mundi, based on the series of graphic novels created by Arvid Nelson and Eric Johnson, but now Borys Kit of the Hollywood Reporter reveals that the film has a new writing team: Brian Klugman and Lee Sternthal. Klugman and Sternthal worked on Tron Legacy, and are writing and directing The Words, an independent film starring Bradley Cooper and Jeremy Irons. Klugman and Sternthal are scheduled to start shooting The Words in June.

Adapting Rex Mundi is a challenge, since the series is now more than a thousand pages long. The story takes place in an alternate reality in which the Catholic Church quashed the Protestant Reformation and so, in a sense, the Middle Ages never ended. According to the Hollywood Reporter, “The story is set in 1933 and centers on a pathologist who investigates the mysterious death of the priest who found him as an orphan, a trail that ultimately leads to a quest for the Holy Grail.” An initial draft of the screenplay was written by Jim Uhls.

A recent blog post by Arvid Nelson confirms the hiring of the new writing team. “A Rex Mundi film adaptation has been slithering its way through the pipes of Hollywood for a few years. I’m sort of gobsmacked at how far it’s come. We have a home at Warner Brothers, and Johnny Depp is producing and set to star in the movie. [. . .] Right now we’re at work on the screenplay. As of right now (April ’11) a new writing team is on board, with a very interesting angle on the story, involving Judas Iscariot.” Fascinating.

The Zone thanks Emma and Fireflydances for sharing the news. You can read more about Rex Mundi on the Zone’s Porch General Discussion forum.