Heat Vision Blog is reporting that I Am Legend director Francis Lawrence will direct Sgt. Rock, based on the WWII hero from DC Comics, from a script by Chad St. John.

Joel Silver, who has been steering the project for nearly 20 years, is teaming with Akiva Goldsman, who recently boarded as producer, to bring the project to the big screen via Warner Bros.

Sgt. Frank Rock was the leader of his infantry unit, Easy Company. He first appeared in a 1959 issue of "Our Army at War." In 1977, the comic was renamed Sgt. Rock and ran until 1988.

Until now, Sgt. Rock has retained its World War II setting, with Silver and the studio trying to make a big-budget action adventure movie that was a throwback to flicks like The Dirty Dozen, which feature acts of American derring-do.

The studio hopes moving the time period to the future solves the dilemma.

No production date was announced.