The Phantom

The Phantom is a 1996 American superhero film directed by Simon Wincer. Based on Lee Falk's comic strip The Phantom, the film stars Billy Zaneas a seemingly immortal crimefighter and his battle against all forms of evil. The Phantom also stars Treat Williams, Kristy Swanson, Catherine Zeta-Jones, James Remar and Patrick McGoohan. The film was loosely inspired by three of The Phantom stories, "The Singh Brotherhood", "The Sky Band", and "The Belt"; but adds supernatural elements and several new characters.

Sergio Leone expressed interest in developing The Phantom and intended to follow it with Mandrake the Magician. However, the project was never realized. In the early 1990s, executive producer Joe Dante signed on as director. However, when the film was pushed back, Wincer was approached as director. Principal photography began in October 1995 and concluded on February 13, 1996. The film was shot in California, Thailand and Australia.

The Phantom was released on June 7, 1996, and received mixed reviews from film critics. Despite financial disappointment in its theatrical release, the film has since enjoyed success on VHS and DVD.