The Night Stalker was a 1972 TV movie, based on a novel by Jeff Rice and adapted for the screen by fellow literary legend Richard Matheson, which followed Carl Kolchak, a Las Vegas reporter investigating a series of murders that leads him to uncover a real life vampire.
The film had a considerable impact on genre television to follow, being attributed as the main influence on The X-Files, and spawned one sequel (1973's The Night Strangler, featuring a murderous immortal) and Kolchak: The Night Stalker, a TV series that only lasted on season.
Darren McGavin played the original Kolchak with Stuart Townsend assuming the role in an equally short-lived 2005 TV remake, from X-Files producer Frank Spotnitz. It's safe to say that Johnny Depp will be the most high-profile name to be attached to the character, but is he really the best choice? I hope he can actually invest in creating a character and not just an assortment of quirks in a hat, as is his usual modus operandi.
At this point, Depp is as synonymous with Disney as Mickey Mouse, headlining their lucrative Pirates franchise, as well as the billion dollar grossing Alice in Wonderland, with the long gestating Lone Ranger adaptation set to begin production soon.
Wright, meanwhile, is considerably lower on the totem pole with his highest budget being Scott Pilgrim Vs The World's modest $60 million, but he has been developing an Ant Man movie with Marvel Studios (now owned by Disney) and it's likely the suits are impressed with what they see, if they are willing to hand the reins to another potential Johnny Depp franchise.
One thing about Wright's work; he gets his moneys worth out of every shot. Despite their meager budgets his three films so far all look great and have an energy that you just cannot replicate, no matter how much money you throw at the production. Considering how squeamish Disney were about the budget of The Lone Ranger (or any Gore Verbinski film, in general) it makes sense to go for a gifted visual stylist with a knack for doing things on the cheap.
I hope this property gets the respect it deserves but, if nothing else, at least it means we may be treated to a good DVD/Blu Ray set of the originals prior to the film's release.
Source: Deadline
